NATURE'S**' 


EPNEST  •  INGERSOLL 


mt  ^.  %  PtII  phxm-^ 


^atH]  (Earolma  ^tatc  College 

QH&I 
141 


S00785451    U 


QH81 
147 


Ingersoll 


57050 


Nature's   calendaT. 


DAT 


J[  ulbrary  Bur 


57050 

This  BOOK  may  Se'kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,    and    is    subject    to    a    fine    of    P^W 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.     It  is  due   on   the 
day  indicated  below: 


28Jun'50x 


Nature's 
Calendar 


by 
ERNEST     INGERSOLL 
Author    of   "  Friends    Worth 
Knowing  "  "  The  Ice  Queen  " 


New  York  and  London 
HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
PUBLISHERS     MCM 


A  Guide  and  Record 
for  Outdoor  Observa- 
tions in  Natural  History 


With  Tivelvc  Illustrations 
from  Original  Photo- 
graphs by  Clarence  Loivn 


Copyright,  igrx),  by  Ernest  Ingersolu 

All  rii^'hts  reserved. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

J  ANUARY I 

February k^ 

March y, 

April 55 

May 87 

June 121 

J^^Y ^53 

August j^^ 

September loy 

October 217 

November *  237 

December 255 


57050 


EMBELLISHMENTS 


FACING 
PAGE 

January — Poppletown  Bridge.     .     .     .      xiv 

i8 


February — 77ie  Snowy  Path  .     .     . 
March — B/ack  Creek's  Rehutant  Fetters       36 

54 

86 

120 


April — The  Joyous  Freshet 

May — Pastures  New 

June — Tangles  of  Laurel  .... 
July — Precious  Shado7vs  at  Noonday 
August — By  Cool  Water-brooks  .  . 
September — The  Hush  of  Maturity 
OCTOBKR — A  Mirror  of  Glories  .  . 
November — Good-bye  to  the  Woods  . 
December — The  Sunset  of  the  Year 


172 
192 
216 
236 
254 


INTRODUCTION 


"  cfoz  to  lie  a  ihatuzaii.'it,  i/ou   maun 
ncqtnwi   natuz' . 
Iicxd. 


Observation  is  at  the  basis  of  all 
scientific  work,  and  is  itself  both  a 
Science  and  an  Art,  although,  after 
all,  it  is  nothing  more  mysterious 
than  the  faculty  of  keeping  open  at 
the  same  time  both  the  eyes  and  the 
mind. 

This  little  book  does  not  pretend 
to  teach  it — perhaps  no  book  can  do  ' 

that.  It  does  attempt,  however,  to 
save  you  valuable  hours  and  fleeting 
opportunities  by  reminding  you  from 
time  to  time  throughout  the  circle  of 
the  year  what  is  doing  then  in  the 
living  world,  by  giving  you  a  memo- 
randum of  some  things  for  which 
you  ought  at  that  moment  to  be  on 

the  lookout,  lest  their  brief  period  HX^hat  to  dec  and  when  to  .)c 
pass  before  you  learn  or  remember 
that  this  is  their  appointed  season. 
In  this  respect  it  is  a  guide  to  study 
out  of  doors — a  calendar  of  Nature's 
annual  cycle  of  birth,  career,  death, 


INTRODUCTION 


and    progeny — seed,  blossom,  fruit- 
age. 
^  ,       err    ,L      ,  The  dates  given  refer  to  an  ordi- 

fH->(>fi>tcncc'\      to      the      ^fbotthcadtezn  .  ^  .  . 

cfbcf.ccnccA  ^^^y  season  in  the  region  about  New 

%nitcd  Stated.  York  City.    It  was  necessary  to  take 

some  one  district  for  the  sake  of  rela- 
tive uniformity,  but  the  limit  has 
not  been  strictly  drawn,  and  the  book 
will  be  found  useful  throughout  the 
eastern  half  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada — at  least,  since  an  observer 
anywhere  may  act  upon  its  sugges- 
tions, quickly  learning  how  to  make 
local  allowances  for  his  own  circum- 
stances of  latitude  and  climate.  In 
doing  so  he  will  begin  to  understand 
the  pleasure  of  his  work,  and  will  call 
it  play. 

But  observation  without  record 
falls,  short  of  its  possibilities  for  both 
value  and  enjoyment.  Memory  will 
retain  general  impressions  and  the 
larger  outlines,  but  ought  not  to  be 
trusted  for  exact  details,  and  will 
soon  be  overtaxed.  Nothing  is  more 
important, and  soonnothingbecomes 
more  amusing,  than  the  making  of 
field-notes  day  by  day ;  and  they  will 
surely  be  treasured  for  the  pleasant 
S-'tcld -noted  a  txeaAuxy  of  happy  zcc'  associations  they  recall  —  a  record 
oUectioiw.  full  of  the  sunshine  of  summer  days, 


d^ecotd  the  handmaid  of  Olydezvation. 


INTBOD  UCTION 


oMy  tkouglit  fzoni    the    poct-natuzal- 
lAt  of  balden. 


the  singing  of  birds,  the  gayety  of 
butterflies  and  blossoms,  the  aroma 
of  the  woods,  and  the  plash  and 
sparkle  of  waters. 

Should  these  notes  be  continued 
through  a  series  of  years,  so  that  one 
season  may  be  compared  with  an- 
other, their  worth  and  interest  will 
accumulate  in  a  compound  ratio. 
Said  Thoreau : 

"A  man  must  attend  to  Nature 
closely  for  many  years  to  know  when, 
as  well  as  where,  to  look  for  his  ob- 
jects, since  he  must  always  anticipate 
her  a  little.  Young  men  have  not 
learned  the  phases  of  nature.  They 
do  not  know  what  constitutes  a  year, 
or  that  one  year  is  like  another.  I 
would  know  when  in  a  year  to  expect 
certain  thoughts  and  moods,  as  the 
sportsman  knows  when  to  look  for 
plover." 

This  is  a  glimpse  of  the  higher, 
poetic  range  of  our  subject  —  the 
heaven  which  cometh  h  observation. 

It  is  in  view  of  the  fact  I  have  dwelt 
upon — namely,  that  observation  and 
record  should  go  hand  in  hand,  one 
complementing  the   other,  that  the 

dated  margins  have  been  left  in  this         £Dated  maxginA  for  a  diazy  of  y 
book,  running  continuous  with  each   out-doot  life. 


IN  TROD  UCTION 


month's  suggestions  and  calendars, 
so  that  you  may  conveniently  write 
down  day  by  day,  as  often  as  you 
please,  a  summary  of  what  has  come 
before  your  eyes  and  mind,  and  thus 
at  the  close  of  the  year  find  your  vol- 
ume doubled — its  roomy  pages  stored 
with  your  own  increase  of  facts, 
impressions,  musings,  and  sketches, 
set  in  orderly  array. 
-    ,  .  .,,,//    ,^    tn        This   may  possess   double  worth. 

Iwon    to    othcxA    ad     well    ad     to  „  ,  ,11  j 

It  IS  well  known  to  book-lovers  and 
J'  to  the  collectors  of  rare  volumes  that 

the  value  of  an  old  book  is  en- 
hanced in  most  cases  when  its  mar- 
gins show  annotations  by  its  owner  ; 
and  that  such  books  more  often  than 
others  are  kept  as  precious  heirlooms 
or  are  lovingly  placed  in  the  security 
of  historical  collections.  What  an 
opportunity,  then,  to  distinguish  one's 
self  in  the  eyes  of  grateful  grand- 
children do  these  fair  margins  pre- 
sent ! 

But  such  marginalia,  however  at- 
tractive they  may  become  in  a  back- 
ward perspective,  will  have  a  present 
and  continuous  worth  and  interest 
to  the  maker.  One  might  imagine 
that  a  collection  of  these  marginal 
field -notes   jotted    down    by  neigh- 


Sg,  fixcdldc  dcddion  of  the  Blhatgin 
alia   iblub. 


IN  TROD  UCTION 


bors,  when  brought  together,  com- 
pared, and  considered,  around  the 
open  fire  of  a  wintry  evening,  or  in 
an  occasional  half-hour  in  the  school- 
room, might  go  far  not  only  to  revive 
the  sense  of  the  past  summer,  but 
might  make  no  mean  substitute  for  a 
session  of  a  local  society  of  natural 
history ;  or  that  an  interchange  of 
such  annotated  books  between  per- 
sons living  in  different  places  and 
conditions  might  furnish  hours  of 
profitable  enjoyment  to  both,  and  be 
mutually  stimulative  in  a  high  de- 
gree; or  even  that  a  "nature  study" 
class  might  make  capital  of  last 
year's  well-filled  volumes  in  carrying 
on  the  present  year's  work. 

In  fact,  if  you  will  regard  the  printed 
part  as  nothing  more  than  my  begin- 
ning, and  will  complete  it  and  correct 
it  for  your  ow^n  locality  in  the  blank 
spaces  left  to  you  for  that  purpose, 
you  may  find  yours  the  better  half  of 
the  book,  and  I  shall  not  begrudge  you 
either  the  esteem  or  the  glory  of  it. 


Snfoxmation  fox  exckangi 


H/ouzd  the   better  half  of  the  Iwoh,  itj 
likely   ad   not. 


In  making  this  little  book  I  have 
received  assistance  from  several  per- 
sons, whose  help  I  wish  gratefully 
to  acknowledge. 


INTRODUCTION 


[[cation 


%kc  &cd.utcrlan  Shoard  of  &b-        The  germ  of  the  book  lay  in  aseries 

of  articles  contributed  during  1899 
to  Forward  and  Wellspring — juvenile 
periodicals  of  the  Presbyterian  Board 
of  Publication  ;  and  my  thanks  are 
due  to  that  Board  for  permission  to 
use  so  much  of  the  material  as  was 
desirable  for  the  present  purpose. 

^zof,  (Slazencc  31b.  HVced.  Prof.   Clarence    Moores   Weed,  of 

the  New  Hampshire  College  of  Agri- 
culture and  the  Mechanic  Arts,  has 
rendered  valuable  assistance  in  re- 
spect to  insect -facts,  the  monthly 
calendars  of  insect  life  coming  wholly 
from  his  knowledge  and  pen. 

oiir-      ^^  I       n  ..-.^.11  I    am    similarly    indebted    to    my 

daughter,  Miss  Helen  IngersoU,  for 
help  in  respect  to  local  botany,  credit 
for  the  paragraphs  relating  to  the 
annual  procession  of  plant  life  mainly 
belonging  to  her. 

SJbz.  Giarcncc  £>o^n.  Finally,  I  wish  to  thank  Mr.  Clar- 

ence Lown,  of  Poughkeepsie,  for  the 
use  of  twelve  of  the  photographs  that 
have  been  made  by  him  from  time 
to  time  in  the  Hudson  Valley,  and 
which  illustrate,  by  suggestion  as 
well  as  by  scene,  the  progress  of  a 
rural  year  in  the  Eastern  States. 


JANUARY 


The  winter's  icy  fingers  clutch  at  the  rushing  brooks, 
Freezing  the  stream  that  lingers  in  coves  and  placid  nooks. 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


JANUARY 

It  is  a  fortunate  thing  for  our  purpose  January  i 

that  the  beginning  of  the  calendar  year  is 
made  to  come  in  midwinter,  as  it  now 
does  throughout  Christendom.  January, 
as  its  name  implies,  is  truly  a  month  of 
retrospect  and  of  prospect,  the  dead-point 
of  the  circle  of  the  seasons,  the  time  when 
nature  rests  preparatory  to  renewing  its 
labors.  It  is  a  larger  night,  a  period  of 
quiet  and  repose.  But  nature  is  not  dead, 
only  sleeping,  since  its  work  is  done  for 
the  present.  The  foremost  natural  duty 
of  all  living  beings,  "to  multiply  and  re- 
plenish the  earth,"  has  been  performed. 
Plants  have  sprung  up,  put  forth  leaves, 
displayed  their  flowers,  ripened  and  dis- 
tributed their  seeds,  and,  "  neither  hasting 
nor  resting,"  have  fulfilled  their  destiny. 
If  they  were  herbs  they  withered  and  died, 
trusting  to  the  seeds  they  had  perfected 
to  bring  up  their  like  next  year;  if  they 
were  of  the  sturdier  sort  then  their  roots 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


January  2 


survived,  or,  in  the  case  of  shrubs  and 
trees,  their  whole  woody  framework,  but 
their  leaves  fell  to  the  ground,  giving 
way  to  plump  buds  kept  warm  by  many 
scales.  It  is  a  part  of  the  silent  duty  of 
January  to  dissolve  and  absorb  the  good 
in  these  discarded  leaves  and  worn  herb- 
age, and  to  mingle  it  with  the  soil,  help- 
ing the  earth  to  recuperate  strength  for 
the  labors  that  must  soon  be  renewed. 

Meanwhile  the  water  carrying  the  sap, 
which  contains  the  food  and  building- 
material  of  the  tree,  ceases  to  flow  into 
the  branches,  so  that  one  may  say  that 
its  veins  are  drained  of  their  blood.  The 
soft  layer  of  new  wood  beneath  the  bark 
hardens,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  dam- 
age from  freezing. 

The  snow  which  now  covers  the  earth 
plays  a  beneficent  part  towards  vegeta- 
tion. It  is  like  a  blanket,  keeping  in  the 
warmth,  preventing  excessive  freezing  of 
the  ground,  protecting  it  against  a  too 
rapid  evaporation  of  its  moisture,  and  by 
its  occasional  melting  contributing  evenly 
to  the  soil  the  water  stored  in  its  glisten- 
ing crystals. 

The  vegetable  world,  then,  rests  and 
sleeps  in  our  January  days.  The  same  is 
extensively  true  of  the  animal  world. 
Most  creatures  of  the  lower  types  die  out 
altogether  in  the  autumn,  like  the  annual 
plants,  leaving  only  their  eggs  or  young 
to  renew  the  tribe  when  warm  weather 
returns,  yet  some  of  the  simplest  as  well 


January  3 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


as  of  the  highest  organization  survive  by 
stopping  all  activity.     Thus  most  of  the 
minute  creatures  that  crowd   our  ponds 
and  ditches  seem  to  have  as  much  hardi- 
hood as  the  water  weeds  amid  which  they 
dwell,  so  that  the  fishes  under  the   ice 
have  no  lack  of  winter  food.    They  them- 
selves feed  upon  minuter  and  even  mi- 
croscopic plants,  upon  hydroids,  eggs  of 
various  diminutive  creatures,  of  which  at 
this  season  many  are  being  produced  in 
the   water  —  those    of    the    fresh  -  water 
polyps,  for  instance — and  other  smallest 
of  small  fry.     Earthworms  and  their  kin- 
dred bore  into  the  ground  until  they  are 
below  the  line  of  frost,  or  if  they  are  of 
aquatic  habits  bury  themselves  deep  in 
the  muddy  bottoms  of  streams  and  ponds ; 
while  the  water  spiders  keep  comfortable, 
after  the  weather  has  become  too  cold 
for  them,  by  sleeping  in  the  bubble  of  air 
they  are  able  to  take  down  with  them,  en- 
tangled in  the  long  hairs  of  their  legs  and 
bodies.    In  the  Southern  States,  of  course, 
these  precautions  against  the  climate  are 
much  less  necessary  or  prolonged  than  in 
the  colder  region  northward. 

Land  spiders  pass  the  winter  in  more 
or  less  activity,  according  to  their  natures 
and  the  degree  of  cold.  You  may  find 
some  abroad  any  day  this  month,  even 
running  about  on  the  snow,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  are  hidden  away  in  our 
cellars  or  under  stones  or  logs.  The  bur- 
rowing species,  such  as  the  trap-door  spi- 


January  4 


January  5 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  6 


ders,  remain  within  their  snug,  silk-lined 
houses,  rarely  going  out  from  November 
to  April ;  and  if  you  were  to  put  a  ther- 
mometer into  one  of  their  tubes  you 
would  find  it  comparatively  warm.  Mrs. 
Mary  Treat  tells  us  that  she  found  the 
"  parlor  "  of  a  large  trap-door  spider  in 
her  yard  to  have  a  temperature  of  40°  F. 
when  the  outside  air  was  only  20^  F. 
above  zero.  It  is  during  this  winter  con- 
finement that  their  eggs  are  produced, 
and  when  the  females  emerge  in  April 
each  brings  with  her  a  sack  full  of  eggs 
attached  to  her  spinneret. 

As  for  the  moUusks,  those  that  live  in 
the  sea  simply  crawl  into  greater  depths 
as  the  water  cools  along  the  shore  ;  or 
they  keep  beneath  the  ice  when,  like  our 
various  river  mussels  and  pond  snails, 
they  inhabit  fresh  waters.  There  is  no 
doubt,  howev^er,  that  shell-fish  can  endure 
extreme  cold  as  well  as  excessive  drouth. 
One  sort  certainly  is  obliged  to  do  so  in 
our  northern  climate — the  land  snail. 

If  in  midwinter  you  pry  apart  moulder- 
ing logs,  overturn  deeply  embedded  stones, 
or  search  about  out-house  cellars,  you 
may  find  any  number  of  these  familiar  lit- 
tle mollusks  of  our  gardens,  quiet  but  in 
good  health.  It  will  be  noticed,  however, 
that  alllie  with  the  aperture  or  "mouth" 
of  the  shell  upward,  and  probably  glued 
to  a  support;  and  also  that  this  aperture 
is  always  closed  by  a  whitish  m.embrane 
of  hardened  mucus  which  closes  it  like  a 


January  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


drumhead.  The  snail  has  filled  his  house 
with  air,  then  closed  his  door  with  an  air- 
tight curtain,  and  gone  to  sleep.  Per- 
haps he  makes  a  second  or  even  a  third 
screen  inside  of  it,  to  guard  against  any 
accident  breaking  the  outer  one,  which 
would  be  fatal  to  him.  The  breathing 
Fvfid  circulation  of  the  blood  of  these  hi- 
bernating snails  seem  wholly  to  cease— at 
least  a  chemical  test  will  show  that  the 
air  inside  the  shell  is  as  pure  as  that  out- 
side ;  but  it  seems  necessary  that  it  should 
not  be  disturbed.  Mere  cold,  however, 
appears  to  have  no  harmful  effect. 

Rising  another  step,  we  encounter 
among  the  insects  some  curious  facts. 
The  best  that  most  insects  can  do  on  the 
approach  of  cold  weather,  which  means 
famine  for  them,  is  to  die;  so  that  in  this 
month  a  collector  can  find  little  to  add  to 
his  cabinet,  except  in  the  way  of  imma- 
ture form.s.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any 
fully  developed  neuropter  could  be  picked 
up  in  January,  with  one  remarkable  ex- 
ception— the  snow  insect,  a  curious  wing- 
less, caterpillar-like  little  creature,  about 
as  long  as  a  grain  of  rice,  and  orange  red 
or  shining  black,  according  to  species; 
it  dwells  in  the  moss  and  is  rare,  but  when 
seen  at  all,  it  appears  in  great  numbers 
hopping  about  on  the  snow  in  sunny 
places. 

In  the  group  of  orthoptera — the  cock- 
roaches, crickets,  locusts,  and  the  like — a 
few  adults  may  be  gathered.     The  bur- 


January  8 


January  9 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  lo 


rowing  crickets  might  be  dug  out  of  their 
burrows,  if  we  knew  where  they  were,  and 
a  good  many  locusts  and  grasshoppers  hi- 
bernate in  sheltered  places.  Among  the 
true  bugs  {Hemiptej-d)  far  too  many  are 
alive  all  winter,  for  here  come  the  various 
lice  and  scale  insects  infesting  trees  and 
fruit,  and  many  other  unpleasant  forms. 
Of  larger  sorts,  most  perish  with  the  first 
frosts,  but  here  and  there  an  adult  will 
hibernate  successfully,  and  of  the  aquatic 
forms  a  large  proportion  remain  at  the 
bottoms  of  their  ponds,  ditches,  and 
streams  all  winter,  torpid  in  the  mud 
about  the  plant  roots,  or  perhaps  active. 

Beetles,  from  the  nature  of  their  struct- 
ure, are  more  hardy,  and  a  great  many 
survive  in  the  imago  form  from  autumn 
to  spring,  though  these  form  only  a  small 
proportion,  after  all,  of  the  total.  The 
ladybirds,  for  example,  hibernate  numer- 
ously under  bark,  in  barns  and  similar 
wooden  places  of  shelter,  as  also  do  the 
flea-beetles  so  injurious  to  grapes.  The 
potato  beetles  and  allied  forms,  such  as 
the  asparagus  beetle,  burrow  down  below 
the  frost- line  and  become  torpid;  one 
apple-borer  {Amphicerus)  cuts  out  a  win- 
ter-chamber for  itself  in  the  tree-wood  ; 
and  weevils  hibernate  largely  as  imagos, 
creeping  into  crevices  of  bark,  under  rot- 
ting leaves,  or  anywhere  else  that  seems  to 
them  snug.  Examples  of  many  smaller 
kinds,  then,  might  be  taken  in  midwinter 
by  a  diligent  collector,  but  of  the  large. 


January  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


hard-shelled  beetles  few  survive  the  cold 
months  of  the  Northern  States. 

Not  many  of  the  flies  last  from  one 
year  to  another,  except  a  few  around  warm 
houses  and  stables,  but  many  of  the  but- 
terflies are  hardy  enough  to  survive  Janu- 
ary frosts.  Several  species  of  the  common 
brown  Vanessa,  especially  Vanessa  antiopa 
and  V.  progne,  spend  the  season  under 
logs,  ledges  of  rocks,  etc.,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  a  warm,  thawing  day  will  bring 
them,  and  other  insects,  into  temporary 
activity.  The  delicacy  of  these  creatures 
does  not  prevent  their  enduring  severe 
cold  ;  moths  and  butterflies  may  be  found 
in  the  arctic  regions,  or  upon  the  freez- 
ing, stormy  peaks  of  the  highest  mountain 
ranges.  Such,  among  American  butter- 
flies, are  the  grass-feeding  species  of  the 
genus  Erebia,  whose  chrysalids  are  placed 
for  the  winter  upon  the  ground;  those  of 
the  genus  (Eneis,  called  "arctics,"  also 
brown  and  grass  -  eating,  one  of  which 
is  a  famous  Mount  Washington  species 
{CEnezs  semi'dea),  which  dwells  on  the 
naked  summits  of  the  Presidential  Range 
in  the  White  Mountains,  where  it  is  re- 
garded as  a  relic  of  the  glacial  period, 
when  an  arctic  climate  prev^ailed  as  far 
south  as  central  New  Hampshire.  An- 
other Mount  Washington  butterfly,  Bren- 
this  montiniis,  has  a  similar  history,  and 
represents  a  third  genus  of  small  butter- 
flies able  to  endure  arctic  cold. 

Some  species  of  these   tribes   may  be 


January  12 


January  13 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


January  14 


found  along  the  northern  border  of  the 
United  States,  and  are  sometimes  col- 
lected in  midwinter.  "  Some  arctic  spe- 
cies [of  butterflies]  are  known  in  which 
the  development  from  the  egg  to  the  per- 
fect insect  covers  a  period  of  two  or  three 
years,  long  periods  of  hibernation  under 
the  arctic  snows  taking  place." 

Such  highly  organized,  long-lived  aris- 
tocrats among  the  insects  as  the  bees, 
wasps,  and  ants,  most  of  whom  live  either 
in  well-built  community  houses  or  in  bur- 
rows, where  they  store  provisions  and  are 
warmly  sheltered,  get  through  an  ordi- 
nary winter  with  little  trouble  or  sufifer- 
ing,  sleeping  away  the  coldest  parts  of  it 
in  semi-torpidity.  Of  course,  the  farther 
south  you  go  the  more  numerous  and  ac- 
tive are  these  and  all  other  insects,  though 
insects  are  much  more  scarce  in  winter 
than  in  summer,  even  in  the  borders  of 
the  tropics.  But,  after  all,  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  insects,  taking  all  kinds  together, 
die  ofT  in  the  autumn,  so  that  in  thousands 
of  groups  not  a  single  adult  individual 
exists  when  the  first  snow  comes. 

How,  then,  is  their  race  maintained  so 
that  they  appear  as  numerously  as  ever 
upon  the  return  of  warm  weather?  In 
this  way:  The  females  lay  eggs.  Some- 
times these  hatch  quickly  into  larvae  (or 
grubs)  and  these  become  pupae  (chrysalids 
in  a  cocoon),  and  perhaps  by  that  time,  if 
the  species  be  double-brooded,  the  mother 
has  deposited   in  some  suitable  place    a 


January  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


second  lot  of  eggs.  One  or  the  other  of 
these  undeveloped  forms  of  these  insects, 
or  perhaps  all  three  of  them,  in  separate 
places  and  under  varying  circumstances, 
will  last  through  the  cold  months  and  be 
ready,  if  they  be  eggs,  to  hatch  out  at  their 
proper  time  in  the  next  spring,  or,  if  they 
be  grubs  or  chrysalids,  to  develop  into 
imagos,  or  full-fledged  insects. 

One  who  searches  for  insect  eggs  in 
January  may  find  them  in  almost  every 
conceivable  place — glued  to  bark  and 
twigs ;  hidden  away  beneath  the  bark, 
among  fallen  leaves,  and  in  piles  of  de- 
caying rubbish,  at  the  bottom  of  holes  in 
wood  or  the  ground,  drilled  for  the  pur- 
pose by  their  careful  parents  ;  or  hatching 
in  the  bodies  of  other  insects  or  larvae. 

As  for  the  grubs,  their  winter  sleeping- 
places  are  equally  varied  and  innumer- 
able. A  large  v^ariety  of  beetle  grubs  in- 
habit holes  in  the  soil  below  the  frost- 
line,  where  they  feed  upon  roots,  when 
they  feed  at  all.  Another  large  class, 
hatching  from  eggs  placed  in  wood,  either 
rotten  or  solid,  gnaw  a  chamber  for  them- 
selves, and  remain  dormant  there  until 
the  time  comes  to  make  their  escape ; 
others  dwell  in  heaps  of  manure  or  rotting 
vegetation,  or  loose  sand.  Some  of  them 
seem  to  care  little  for  protection  from 
cold,  and  keep  wide  awake  when  most  of 
their  neighbors  are  dormant.  The  vel- 
vety larvse  of  the  American  fireflies  of  the 
Telephorid  family  are  often  seen  wander- 


January  i6 


January  17 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  i8 


ing  in  large  numbers  on  the  surface  of  the 
snow,  giving  rise  to  stories  of  showers  of 
worms;  and  cases  are  recorded  where 
grubs  have  been  frozen  solid,  so  that  you 
might  break  them  in  two,  like  icicles,  and 
yet  were  restored  by  thawing — not  the 
broken  ones,  of  course,  but  those  left  to 
nature's  restoration.  It  must  be  added, 
however,  that  careful  entomologists  doubt 
these  statements  somewhat,  and  fresh  and 
very  cautious  experiments  are  desirable. 

"Many  caterpillars  which  hibernate  do 
so  immediately  after  emerging  from  the 
egg,  and  before  having  made  the  first 
molt.  The  great  majority,  however,  hi- 
bernate after  having  passed  one  or  more 
molts.  With  the  approach  of  spring  they 
renew  their  feeding  upon  the  first  reap- 
pearance of  the  foliage  of  their  proper 
food-plant,  or  are  transformed  into  chrys- 
alids  and  presently  emerge  as  perfect  in- 
sects."    So  says  Mr.  Holland. 

Among  the  higher  insects,  especially 
the  beetles,  moths,  and  butterflies,  the 
chrysalid  is  the  form  that  most  usually 
carries  the  species  through  the  inactive 
season  of  the  year,  the  clothes-moth  fur- 
nishing a  very  familiar  instance. 

Some  lie  in  the  ground  or  beneath  rub- 
bish, furnishing  an  argument  for  tidiness 
about  our  houses  and  gardens,  and  late 
and  early  cultivation  of  the  soil,  in  order 
to  discourage  and  destroy  the  propagation 
of  injurious  and  annoying  pests.  The 
tiger  beetles  seem  to  have  the  unusual 


January  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


method  of  spending  the  winter  as  pupae 
in  the  burrows  they  dug  and  used  as  traps 
and  retreats  when  they  were  in  the  fierce 
^rub  stage.  A  good  many  chrysaHds, 
especially  of  the  smaller  beetles,  hiber- 
nate among  the  shreds  of  rotten  stumps 
and  logs,  or  beneath  the  loose  old  bark 
of  trees,  and  in  crevices  about  fences  and 
houses;  while  the  infant  moths  and  but- 
terflies are  safely  wrapped  in  warm  co- 
coons, which  are  stowed  away  in  all  sorts 
of  snug  corners,  or  glued  to  the  bark  of 
trees,  or  on  the  sheltered  sides  of  stones, 
logs,  fence  rails,  etc.,  or  else  hung,  like 
cradles,  to  the  stems  of  their  favorite 
plants.  This,  therefore,  is  a  good  season 
to  gather  cocoons,  allow  them  to  develop 
in  captivity,  and  study  the  process. 

This  ends  the  list  of  invertebrates,  and 
we  are  now  ready,  during  the  continued 
cold  weather  of  February,  to  study  how 
the  higher,  vertebrated  animals  care  for 
themselves  in  winter. 


January  20 


January  21 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  22 


CALENDAR  FOR  JANUARY 

MAMMALS 
(See  Calendar  for  February) 

BIRDS 

The  list  here  given  is  praclically  a  catalogue 
of  the  winter  birds  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York, 
including  both  the  permanent  residents  and  the 
winter  visitors  from  the  North. 

Grebes  and  Loons. — Occasionally  seen. 

Auks,  Miirres,  Jccgers,  etc. —  Casual  visitors 
to  the  coast. 

Saddle-backed  Gull. — Common  on  the  coast. 

Herring  Gull. — Abundant  in  all  harbors. 

Ring-billed  Gull.  — Common  along  the  coast. 

Sheldrakes. — Uncommon  visitors. 

Black  Duck. — Common  along  the  sea-coast. 

Golden-eye,  or  Whistler. — An  irregular  visitor. 

BuJ/le-head. — Common  in  suitable  places. 

Old  S(]ua7u,  or  Old  IVife  Duck. — Common. 

Scoters. — Three  species,  irregularly  present. 

Woodcock. — Occasional  at  favorable  places. 

Bob  J V kite. — Common  all  the  year. 

Ruffed  Grouse. — Common  all  the  year. 

Sharp-shinned  Hazifk. — Common  always. 

Cooper's  Hawk. — Rarer  than  the  .sharp-shin. 

Gosha-ivk. — A  rare  winter  visitor. 

Red- tailed  Hen-hazok. — Less  numerous  than 
in  summer. 

Red-shouldered Ha-uk. — Common  all  the  year. 

Bald  Eagle. — A  permanent  resident ;  often 
seen  on  the  ice  in  tlie  Hudson  River. 

Duck-hawk. — Seen  occasionally  about  the 
Hudson  palisades. 


January  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


13 


Sparrozu-Ziatak. — Uncommon  but  resident. 

Long-eared  Owl. — A  permanent  resident. 

Short-eared  Owl. — Occasional, about  marshes. 

Barred  Orvl. — A  numerous  permanent  resi- 
dent, frequenting  barns  and  liay-lofts. 

Sazo-zu/ief,  or  Acadian  Owl. — A  rare  visitor. 

Screech  Owl. — The  most  common  of  the  small 
owls  all  the  year  round. 

Great  Horned  Owl. — Not  uncommon. 

Snowy  Owl. — Appears  at  long  intervals. 

Hairy  Woodpecker. — A  permanent  resident. 

Do'cony  Woodpecker. — Abundant  all  the  year. 

Red- headed  Woodpecker. — Formerly  common, 
but  now  rare  east  of  Central  New  York. 

Flicker,  or  Golden-  lainged  Woodpecker. — A 
few  remain  in  mild  seasons. 

Horned  Lark,  or  Shore  Lark. — Occasional 
along  the  coast. 

Blue  Jay. — A  permanent  resident  ;  more  con- 
spicuous now  than  in  summer. 

Crow. — Abundant,  especially  near  the  coast. 

Meadoio  L.ark. — A  few  usually  to  be  found. 

Pine  Grosbeak. — Irregular;  among  evergreens. 

Purple   Finch. — Irregularly  present. 

American  Ped Crossbill—XjsnaWy  numerous. 

White-'vinged  Crossbill. — Occasionally  seen. 

R'edpoll.  —  Irregular  visitor  ;  occasionally 
abundant. 

Goldfinch. — Common  in  small  flocks  along 
roadsides,  and  habited  in  dim  plumage. 

Pine  Siskin,  or  Finch. — Irregularly  present. 

European  Goldfinch.  —  Becoming  numerous 
near  New  York  and  Boston. 

Snozvfiake ,  or  Snow  Bunting. — Usually  pres- 
ent, especially  along  the  coast. 

Lapland  Longspur.  —  Casual,  in  company 
with  snowflakes. 


January  24 


January  25 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  26 


Vesper  Sparroio,  or  Grass  Finch.  —  Often 
present  in  New  Jersey. 

IVhite-tJvoated  Spnrrozv. — A  few  occasionally. 

Tree  Sparrow,  or  Winter  Chippy. — ComiTion. 

Snoivbird {]\\\\co). — Abundant  and  familiar. 

Song  .S)>«r/'^7£/.— Permanent  resident;  less 
numerous  than  in  summer. 

Swamp  Sparrow. — Occasionally  remain. 

Cardinal. — Rare  and'  occasional. 

Cedar-bird,  or  IVaxxving. — Common. 

Northern  Shi  ike,  or  Bntchei--bird. — A  not 
uncommon  visitor,  but  irregular. 

Winter  Wren. — Fairly  common  visitor. 

White-breasted  Nuthatch. — Common. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch. — Irregular  visitor. 

Tufted  Titmouse. — Permanent  resident  in 
New  Jersey. 

Chicadee. — Abundant  permanent  resident. 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet. — A  common  visitor. 

Robin. — A  few  usually  to  be  found. 

Bluebird. — A  permanent  resident. 


FISHES,     REPTILES,    ETC. 
(See  Calendar  for  February) 

INSECTS 

Hornets  and  Yelloio- Jackets. — Queens  in  old 
nests. 

Brown  Wasps. — Queens  in  attics  and  under 
loose  bark. 

Bumble-bees. — Queens  in  last  year's  nests. 

Mud-xvasps  and  Digger  Wasps. — Pupae  in 
mud  cells  or  cells  in  earth. 

Ants. — Queens  and  workers  in  colonies 
mostly  underground. 

Ichneumon  Flies  and  other  Parasites. — Some 


January  27 


NATURE  S   CALENDAR 


hibernating  as  adults  in  shelter  of  various  sorts  ; 
others  in  earlier  stages. 

Currant  Worms. — In  cocoons  on  ground  be- 
neath currant  bushes. 

Ground  Beetles. — Adults  under  stones,  logs, 
boards,  or  similar  shelter. 

Buprestid  Beetles. — Flattened  larvae  boring 
in  trees  and  logs. 

Ladybird  Beetles. — Adults  hibernating  under 
fallen  leaves,  about  stumps,  or  other  places. 
Often  many  together. 

May  Beetles  or  '■'June  Bugs.'" — As  larvae 
(white  grubs)  in  soil  of  grass  lands,  or  as  adult 
beetles  in  pupal  cavities. 

Click  Beetles. — As  larvae  (wire-worms)  in  soil 
or  as  fresh  adults  in  pupal  cavities. 

Longicorn  Beetles. — As  cylindrical  larvae  bor- 
ing in  trees  and  logs. 

House  Flies. — Adults  in  attics,  sheds,  etc. 

Crane  Flies. — Larvae  (leather-jackets)  in  soil 
of  grass  lands. 

Gall  Flies. — Larvae  of  niany  species  of  gall- 
makers  in  galls  on  willow  and  other  plants. 

Mourning  Cloak,  or  Antiopa  Butterfly,  and 
other  related  species.  —  Adults  in  wood-piles, 
brush-piles,  hollow  trees,  or  other  shelter. 

Asterias  Butterfly  and  Cabbage  Butterflies. — 
Chrysalids  attached  to  fences  and  buildings. 

Viceroy,  or  Disippus  Butterfly. — Larvae  in 
silken  cases  on  willow  and  poplar  twigs. 

Sphinx  Moths. — Pupae  in  soil. 

'Cecropia  and  Proviethea  Moths.  —  Pupae 
within  silken  cocoons  attached  to  twigs. 

Polyphemus  and  Luna  Moths.  —  Pupae  in 
cocoons  on  ground  beneath  food-plant, 

Cutzvorm  Moths.  —  Larvae  in  soil  about 
grass  roots  or  under  boards,  stones,  or  logs. 


January  28 


January  29 


i6 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


January  30 


White-marked  Tussock  Moth. — Egg-masses 
on  old  cocoons  on  bark  of  elms  and  maples. 

Fall  Cankerivortn . — Egg-masses  on  twigs  of 
elm  and  apple  trees. 

Leaf-cruinpler. — Larvie  in  masses  of  leaves 
attached  to  apple  and  other  trees. 

Biid'ivornis. — Larvae  in  brown  cases  hidden 
beside  the  buds  of  apple-trees. 

Leaf -miners. — Larvae  of  many  species  in 
hanging  or  fallen  leaves. 

Caddis-flies. — Larvae  in  cases,  in  ponds,  etc. 

Hellgravimite  Flies. — Larvae  (Dobsons)  in 
rapids  of  streams. 

Squash -bugs  and  similar  species.  —  Adults 
under  boards,  sticks,  logs,  and  similar  shelter. 

Water-bugs. — In  ponds,  streams,  or  mud. 

Cicadas. — Larvae  in  the  ground. 

Tree-hoppers. — Eggs  on  twigs  and  shrubs. 

Leaf-hoppers. — Adults  in  grass  and  litter. 

Scale  Lnsects. — Scales  on  trees  and  shrubs. 

Plant-lice. — Eggs  on  trees,  especially  about 
buds  ;  of  some  species  in  ants'  nests. 

L.ocusts,  or  Grasshoppers. — Eggs  in  ground. 

Grouse-locusts.  —  Adults  beneath  fallen  leaves, 
especially  along  borders  of  woods. 

Tree  Crickets. — Eggs  in  canes  and  twigs. 

Black  Crickets. — A  few  half-grown  specimens 
about  stumps,  but  most  in  egg-state  in  the  soil. 

Walking-sticks.  — Eggs  scattered  under  trees. 

White  A  nts. — Colonies  in  ground  in  or  stumps 
and  logs. 

Stone-flies. — Larvae  under  stones  in  water. 

Dragon- flies  and  May  -  flies. — Immature 
forms  in  ponds  and  streams. 

Spnngtails  and  Bristletails. — Under  boards, 
logs,  and  stones.  Sometimes  appearing  on  the 
snow  (snow-fleas). 


January  31 


FEBRUARY 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  19 


FEBRUARY 

February,  in  the  northern  and  mid-  February  i 

die  portions  of  the  Union,  is  still  unin- 
terrupted winter — often  the  worst  of  it. 
The  Romans  gave  this  month  that  name, 
meaning  "purification,"  in  reference  to 
certain  ceremonies  and  festivals  that  fell 
within  it;  and  we  still  might  fancy,  when 
the  temperature  sinks  far  below  the 
freezing-point  and  stays  there  for  days 
together,  and  night  after  night  adds  a 
fresh  sparkle  to  the  earth's  winding  sheet 
of  snow,  that  this  was  a  feast  of  purifi- 
cation for  nature.  In  fact,  it  is  so,  air, 
water,  and  earth  being  cleansed,  disin- 
fected, made  sweet  and  wholesome  by 
February's  cold. 

Nature  is  still  resting  and  recuperat- 
ing in  the  long  sleep  begun  in  Decem- 
ber, but  the  good  that  it  is  doing  her  we 
cannot  easily  see  as  we  walk  abroad,  un- 
less we  miake  careful  and  continuous 
observations ;  for  February,  north  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  least,  rnust  be  nearly 
passed  before  we  can  perceive  the  first 
"sign  of  spring"  that  is  openly  encour- 
aging. 

There  is  plenty  of  life  about,  neverthe- 
less, and  as  in  my  essay  on   January  1 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  2 


gave  an  account  of  how  the  lowly,  hid- 
den, inv^ertebratesof  our  woods  and  waters 
met  this  forbidding  season,  so  now  I  mean 
to  give  some  facts  of  the  winter  life  of  the 
higher  kinds  of  animals,  many  of  which 
enliven  a  landscape  otherwise  apparently 
lifeless. 

The  fishes  have  only  to  go  into  water 
so  deep  that  it  cannot  be  frozen  to  the 
bottom  in  order  to  escape  discomfort, 
though  it  is  certainly  a  time  of  less  luxury 
with  them  than  summer,  when  air  and 
water  are  full  of  insects;  on  the  other 
hand,  they  need  less  food  for  their  dimin- 
ished activities.  At  any  rate,  fishes  exist 
in  health  and  apparent  happiness  beneath 
the  ice  of  the  deeper  rivers  and  ponds,  as 
is  well  known  to  many  who  fish  success- 
fully, with  both  lines  and  nets,  through 
the  ice,  though  this  is  practised  more  in 
Canada  and  the  country  about  the  Great 
Lakes  than  in  the  East.  It  is  done  con- 
siderably upon  the  Hudson  and  its  trib- 
utaries, however,  nets  similar  to  fykes, 
taken  up  and  turned  with  each  change  of 
tide,  being  lowered  for  "scale  fish  " — that 
is,  for  striped  bass,  white  and  yellow  perch, 
mainly,  white  suckers  (scarcely  edible  at 
other  seasons),  goldfish,  sunfish,  tomcod 
(locally,  the  frost-fish),  and  frequently  cat- 
fish of  two  or  three  kinds. 

By  line-fishing  through  the  ice  in  the 
ponds  and  quiet  riv^ers  of  New  York  and 
New  England,  one  may  catch  pickerel 
in  great  numbers,  black  bass  (the  small- 


February  3 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


mouthed  one),  yellow  perch,  white  perch, 
and  some  others. 

The  sea-fishes  taken  in  and  about  New- 
York  Bay  and  Long  Island  Sound  this 
month  are  few,  the  markets  being  largely 
supplied  with  deep-sea  fish  of  the  cod 
family,  and  oysters  and  clams  taking  the 
place  of  local  kinds. 

In  the  ponds  with  the  fishes  dwell,  in 
southerly  waters,  certain  amphibians,  like 
the  repulsive  nmd-puppies,  or  sirens,  that 
do  not  need  to  breathe  air,  and  a  good 
many  late  tadpoles,  that  are  waiting  until 
spring  enables  them  to  drop  their  tails 
and  appear  in  land  society  as  proper  frogs. 
In  fact,  the  marshes  themselves  are  almost 
as  full  of  frogs  in  silent  February  as  in 
vociferous  March,  but  they  are  all  either 
lounging  in  deep  spring- holes  or  else 
buried  half  torpid  in  the  shore  mud, 
along  with  the  turtles  ;  and  once  in  a 
while,  when  a  particularly  warm  spell 
rouses  them  out,  we  hear  a  few  feeble 
and  doubtful  calls,  as  if  asking  one  an- 
other why  folks  were  getting  up  so  early. 
As  the  toads  cannot  breathe  through 
their  skins,  they  would  drown  beneath 
the  ice,  and  consequently  must  scramble 
down  into  dry  soil  as  far  as  they  can  go 
and  hibernate  in  these  holes,  with  various 
salamanders  for  bedfellows;  and  once  in 
a  while  the  salamanders  wander  out,  dur- 
ing the  thawing  days  that  often  come  in 
the  latter  part  of  this  month. 

The  reptiles  sleep  away  the  winter  in 


February  4 


February  5 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  6 


similar  fashion.  Rotten  logs,  stumps,  and 
the  insides  of  old  trees  make  snug  winter- 
quarters  for  the  two  or  three  kinds  of 
lizards  that  live  w^here  it  is  too  cold  to  be 
abroad  at  all  seasons,  as  they  can  be  in 
the  Southern  States.  The  snakes,  how- 
ever, have  an  unpleasant  way  of  gathering 
into  a  tangled,  ball-like  mass  of  a  dozen 
or  more,  after  collecting  in  some  den  deep 
in  broken  rocks,  or  underground — in  an 
old  badger-hole,  for  example. 

Turtles  and  tortoises  bury  themselves 
for  the  season  deep  in  the  ground.  So 
long  as  the  weather  remains  steadily  cold 
they  stay  there  until  a  time  in  the  spring 
varying  with  the  different  species;  but 
some,  like  the  painted  mud-turtle  and  the 
speckled  tortoise,  will  crawl  out  into  the 
sun  during  a  prolonged  "  warm  spell." 

This  brings  us  to  the  birds  and  mammals 
of  winter,  and  gives  us  something  to  see 
and  study  in  our  own  gardens  as  well 
as  out  in  the  snowy  woods  and  fields. 
"  I  am  persuaded,"  exclaims  Mr.  Will- 
iam E.  Cram,  in  his  capital  book.  Little 
Beasts  of  Field  aiid  Wood,  "  that  most  of 
us  would  be  surprised  to  learn  how  many 
wild  animals  of  the  bigness  of  a  cat  and 
upward  pass  their  lives  in  the  midst  of 
cultivated  districts  without  ever  having 
been  seen  by  men.  .  .  .  In  studying  quad- 
rupeds the  chief  thing  to  bear  in  mind  is 
that,  with  the  exception  of  squirrels  and 
woodchucks.  and  possibly  one  or  two 
others,  all  of   them   have  comparatively 


February  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


23 


poor  eye-sight,  at  all  events  for  daylight, 
and  apparently  not  much  better  for  twi- 
light or  darkness.  .  .  .  But  with  a  sense 
of  smell  and  hearing  such  as  theirs,  they 
are  instantly  aware  of  anything  that  takes 
place  in  their  immediate  vicinity,  with 
the  exception  of  the  one  point  towards 
which  the  wind  blows.  .  .  .  While  the 
wind  is  at  your  back  you  will  only  get 
the  most  unsatisfactory  glimpses  of  any 
of  the  fox  or  weasel  tribe  ;  but  with  it  in 
the  opposite  direction  you  may  study 
them  at  your  leisure ;  and  to  a  certain 
degree  this  is  true  of  all  our  wild  animals. 

"  In  one  sense  winter  is  the  best  time 
for  studying  them,  for  when  the  snow  is 
in  the  right  condition  you  may  follow  the 
footsteps  of  all  those  that  are  abroad  at 
that  season,  and  see  for  yourself  just  how 
they  have  been  spending  their  time." 

Midwinter  is  the  time  when  the  four- 
footed  fur-bearers  are  at  their  best.  The 
deer  wander  as  widely  as  the  snow  per- 
mits, and  frequently  approach  human  set- 
tlements, mingling  with  cattle  in  search 
of  fodder,  and  wearing  their  handsomest 
coats,  which  are  paler  and  more  bluish 
than  those  of  summer.  As  the  month 
comes  to  an  end  they  begin  to  grow 
somewhat  ragged,  and  the  antlers  loosen 
upon  their  heads.  Among  the  wilder 
ranges  of  the  Alleghenies,  and  in  the  for- 
ests about  the  upper  Great  Lakes  and  far 
Southern  swamps,  pumas  and  lynxes  re- 
main to  remind  us  of  the  time  when  they 


February  8 


February  9 


24 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  lo 


were  so  common  that  it  was  difficult  for 
the  pioneers  to  keep  their  flocks  and 
herds  intact  during  the  winter  ;  and  in 
very  cold  spells  they  still  make  occasional 
forays  upon  cattle-yard  and  hen-house. 
The  small  yellow  wildcat  is,  indeed,  to  be 
heard  of  in  winter  almost  everywhere ;  but 
the  howl  of  the  wolf,  mingling^  with  the 
whine  of  the  wind  as  it  hurtles  the  snow 
against  the  cabin  window,  no  longer,  as  it 
used  to  do,  adds  an  eerie  sense  of  peril  to 
the  woodlander  or  prairie  settler.  The 
wolf's  young  brother,  the  fox,  still  barks 
at  night  on  the  glistening  hill-tops,  and 
his  sharply  cut  track  is  seen  by  the  vil- 
lager in  the  early  morning  when  he  goes 
to  the  barn  to  milk.  It  resembles  that  of 
a  large  cat,  but  the  line  is  straighter,  the 
footprints  farther  apart,  each  showing 
four  pads  and  the  marks  of  the  claws  in 
front.  The  fox  feeds  at  this  season  largely 
on  white-bellied  mice,  but  takes  poultry 
and  almost  anything  else  he  can  catch. 
Even  a  bear  (whose  young  are  born  this 
month  in  the  middle  districts)  may  now 
and  then  wander  lazily  about  on  warm 
days  in  sunny  mountain  valleys,  and  at 
night  visit  the  pigsty  or  calf-pen  of  some 
lonely  farm,  driven  by  famine  to  a  bold- 
ness and  ferocity  very  unlike  the  placid- 
ity of  the  berry-and-insect-fed  animal  in 
summer. 

One  may  also  see  the  tracks  on  the 
snow  of  an  occasional  raccoon  and  skunk, 
though  in  the  colder  parts  of  the  country 


February  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


25 


all  three  of  these  are  more  inclined  to 
sleep  in  their  snug  dens  till  February's 
blasts  and  snows  are  well  out  of  the  way 
— the  bear  in  a  rocky  cavity,  the  coon  in 
some  hollow  high  up  in  a  tree,  and  the 
skunk  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  a  nest  be- 
neath a  haystack,  or,  alas,  in  a  warm 
corner  under  the  stable,  where  we  are 
sometimes  most  disagreeably  aware  of  his 
being  on  foot.  In  the  fastnesses  where 
the  beautiful  otter  still  finds  a  harbor,  he 
is  actively  abroad  all  winter,  making  long 
journeys  over  frozen  rivers  in  search  of 
open  places  where  he  may  fish. 

Another  prowler  in  such  solitudes  is 
the  bloodthirsty  mink,  who  seeks  and 
woos  his  mate  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
month  or  in  the  beginning  of  March. 
During  the  winter,  however,  minks  seem 
to  work  alone,  sleeping  wherever  they 
can  find  a  snug  ..corner  at  night,  and 
spending  the  day  in  search  of  food,  which 
consists  mainly  of  earthworms  and  lish, 
which  they  pull  out  of  warm  spring-holes. 
Of  eels  they  are  especially  fond — or  per- 
haps these  are  most  easily  taken.  "  I 
know  of  one  spring  under  the  steep  river 
bank,"  says  Mr.  Cram,  "  where  the  minks 
watch  patiently  until  some  unfortunate 
eel  is  brought  into  sight  by  the  constant 
upward  mov^ement  of  the  water,  when  it 
is  quickly  seized  and  dragged  out  upon 
the  snow.  But  the  struggle  does  not  end 
here,  for  when  the  mink  prepares  to  bear 
its  victim  away  in  triumph  the  latter  is 


February  12 


February  13 


26 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  14 


apt  to  wind  its  body  around  that  of  the 
captor,  and  generally  succeeds  in  throw- 
ing him  end  over  end  more  than  once 
before  being  finally  subdued  and  hauled 
away.  .  .  . 

"A  mink  will  nearly  always  follow  any 
open  brook  it  comes  to,  even  if  obliged 
to  change  its  course  in  order  to  do  so, 
alternately  swimming  and  wading  or 
walking  along  the  bank.  On  reaching 
the  limit  of  the  unfrozen  water,  he  will 
often  keep  on  beneath  the  ice,  especially 
if  the  water  has  fallen  away  from  it  so  as 
to  leave  an  air-space,  and  perhaps  a  nar- 
row strip  of  turf  uncovered  along  the 
edge  of  the  water.  For  it  is  in  just  such 
places  that  meadow-mice  spend  the  win- 
ter, their  burrows  opening  out  from  the 
banks  in  the  same  manner  as  muskrat 
holes.  And  even  the  smallest  brooks 
harbor  young  pickerel  and  eels,  as  well  as 
frogs  and  lizards.  .  .  .  But  the  mink  does 
not  always  confine  himself  to  such  insig- 
nificant game,  by  any  manner  of  means  ; 
he  not  infrequently  kills  birds  and  ani- 
mals as  large  or  larger  than  himself, 
neither  ducks,  partridges,  chickens,  rab- 
bits, or  muskrats  being  ever  wholly  safe 
where  minks  are  abundant." 

The  mink  remains  brown  all  winter, 
but  with  the  coming  of  cold  weather  his 
cousin,  the  weasel,  or  ermine,  turns  more 
or  less  white  according  to  the  degree  of 
cold  — those  in  the  south  making  no 
change  of  pelage  at  all.     This  is  a  com- 


February  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


mon  thing  with  far  northern  animals  that 
are  abroad  in  winter,  and  seems  designed 
to  make  them  less  conspicuous  on  the 
snow.  Thus  the  big  northern  hare  turns 
white,  but  our  common  hares  or  rabbits 
of  the  central  United  States  find  it  need- 
less to  do  so,  and  become  darker  rather 
than  lighter  this  month,  like  other  fur- 
bearers,  which  often  display  tints  and 
markings  absent  from  their  summer  coat. 
This  interesting  phase  of  winter  life  will 
be  treated  of  more  particularly  when  we 
come  to  consider  December. 

This  brings  us  to  a  family  of  smaller 
mammals,  some  of  which  are  wide  awake 
in  February,  while  others  stay  fast  asleep 
— the  gnawers.  The  porcupine  scram- 
bles awkwardly  about  his  northern  woods 
now  as  well  as  when  the  blossoms  are  out, 
finding  plentiful  provender  in  the  bark 
and  leaves  of  evergreen  trees,  though 
even  he  is  fain  to  hang  himself  in  a  dense 
tree-top  during  "cold  snaps,"  and  take  a 
prolonged  semi-torpid  nap  in  which  the 
question  of  food  has  no  interest  for  him. 
The  opossum  behaves  in  much  the  same 
way,  being  fond  of  staying  at  home  in  his 
hollow  tree,  or  under  the  barn,  yet  he 
wanders  a  good  deal  in  mild  weather  in 
search  of  food.  With  this  animal,  how- 
ever, ends  the  list  of  those  able  to  sup- 
port themselves  in  winter  from  day  to 
day,  with  the  exception  of  the  shrews, 
which,  though  the  tiniest  of  quadrupeds, 
are  also  among  the  most  hardy. 


February  i6 


February  17 


2S 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  i8 


All  other  mammals  within  our  range 
must  lay  up  a  store  of  provisions  or  else 
avoid  the  winter  altogether  by  sleeping 
it  out,  or  combine  both  methods  of  ex- 
istence, varying  them,  of  course,  accord- 
ing to  the  comparative  coldness  of  the 
district  where  they  live.  Thus  the  musk- 
rat  of  northern  latitudes  heaps  up  in  the 
fall  a  mass  of  more  or  less  edible  vegeta- 
tion in  the  water  near  his  burrow  home  in 
the  stream-bank,  making  a  cavity  in  the 
centre,  which  he  can  enter  from  beneath, 
and  where  he  can  stay  above  the  water 
and  eat  when  the  weather  or  inclination 
forbid  his  leaving  home.  Thus,  if  other 
food  fails,  he  may  gradually  devour  his 
shelter  or  store— literally  eat  himself  out 
of  house  and  home.  Both  the  muskrat 
and  the  beaver  make  long  excursions  be- 
neath the  ice,  and  strive  to  keep  clear  of 
frost  certain  breathing-holes  and  exits. 

The  gray  squirrels  construct  big  globu- 
lar nests  in  hollow  trees,  or  more  often 
among  the  branches,  and  are  active  every 
day  except  extremely  stormy  ones.  They 
can  find  a  great  deal  of  food,  and  there- 
fore only  bury  nuts  and  acorns  singly 
here  and  there  in  the  fall,  many  of  which 
they  dig  up  even  when  hidden  under  a 
foot  or  two  of  snow.  The  red  squirrel  is 
also  active  all  winter,  yet  has  stored  away, 
preparatory  to  this  holiday,  a  vast  num- 
ber of  nuts  and  such  other  provision  as 
he  likes  in  many  secure  places  close  to 
his  nest,  usually  in  some  hole  under  the 


February  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


roots  of  a  tree,  or  beneath  a  brush  heap 
or  pile  of  loose  rocks.  The  same  is  true, 
in  their  ways,  of  the  flying  squirrels  and 
■of  most  of  the  wild  mice  ;  but  though  the 
chipmunk  lays  up  an  enormous  store  of 
nuts  and  other  food  in  his  tunnelled 
chamber  deep  underground,  he  comes 
out  on  warm  days,  now  and  then,  to  get 
a  bite  of  fresh  fare. 

"  The  wild  or  nativ^e  mice,"  writes  John 
Burroughs,  "lay  up  stores  in  the  fall  in 
the  shape  of  various  nuts,  grain,  and 
seeds,  yet  the  provident  instinct,  as  in 
the  red  squirrel  and  in  the  jay,  seems 
•only  partly  developed  in  them;  instead 
of  carrying  these  supplies  home,  they 
hide  them  in  the  nearest  convenient 
place.  I  have  known  them  to  carry  a 
pint  or  more  of  hickory-nuts  and  deposit 
them  in  a  pair  of  boots  standing  in  the 
■chamber  of  an  out-house.  Near  the 
■chestnut-trees  they  will  fill  little  pocket- 
like depressions  in  the  ground  with  chest- 
nuts; in  a  grain-field  they  carry  the  grain 
under  stones;  under  some  cover  beneath 
clierry-trees  they  collect  great  numbers 
of  cherry-pits.  Hence,  when  cold  weather 
■comes,  instead  of  staying  at  home  like 
the  chipmunk,  they  gad  about  hither  and 
thither  looking  up  their  supplies.  One 
may  see  their  tracks  on  the  snow  ev^ery- 
where  in  the  fields  and  by  the  roadside. 
The  advantage  of  this  way  of  living  is 
that  it  leads  to  activity,  and  probably  to 
sociability.    ...    They    link    tree    and 


February  20 


February  21 


30 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  22 


stump,  or  rock  and  tree,  by  their  pretty- 
trails.  They  evidently  travel  for  advent- 
ure and  to  hear  the  news,  as  well  as  for 
food.  They  know  that  the  foxes  and 
owls  are  about,  and  they  keep  pretty 
close  to  cov^er." 

Lastly,  there  is  a  group  of  common  lit- 
tle animals  that  avoid  the  ills  and  famine 
of  winter  by  hibernation.  Such  arc  the 
bats  in  caves,  hollow  trees,  and  garrets ; 
certain  of  the  mice,  like  the  jumping  deer 
mouse;  and  especially  the  w^oodchuck  or 
ground-hog.  who  retires  to  his  grass-lined 
underground  chamber  early  in  the  fall 
and  rarely  is  seen  until  March. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  feason  why  a  bird 
should  not  be  able  to  pass  the  winter  in 
dormancy  as  well  as  a  mouse  or  a  bat,  but 
as  a  matter  of  fact  none  does,  most  of 
them  migrating  each  autumn  to  the 
warmer  South.  Nevertheless,  we  in  the 
colder  parts  of  the  country  are  not  left 
without  the  companionship  of  these  most 
delightful  of  our  out-door  friends,  in  re- 
gard to  which  I  shall  have  an  opportunity 
to  speak  again  at  the  close  of  the  year. 

"  Sunny  hill-sides,"  as  I  wrote  once, 
"  the  wooded  banks  of  creeks,  the  hedge- 
rows and  brier-grown  fences  along  the 
country  roads,  are  all  favorite  places  for 
the  winter  birds.  Here  come  the  spar- 
rows and  finches,  the  winter  wren  and 
rare  cardinal,  skulking  about  the  thickets, 
hopping  through  the  dead  fern  brakes, 
threading  the  mazy  passages  of  the  log 


February  23 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


heaps  and  brush  piles  ready  to  be  burned 
in  the  spring,  coming  out  upon  the  fence 
post  or  way-side  trees  to  sing  their  morn- 
ing roundelay  and  take  their  daily  airing 
in  pleasant  weather.  In  the  open  mead- 
ows are  the  grass  finches,  snow-birds,  and 
the  few  robins  and  med'larks  that  stay 
with  us ;  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  the 
blue  jay,  flicker,  and  the  butcher  bird  ;  in 
the  orchards  and  evergreens  the  cross- 
bills, the  pine  grosbeaks,  red  polls,  and 
cedar  bird  ;  the  deep  woods  shelter  the 
tiny  nuthatches,  titmice,  and  the  little 
woodpeckers  ;  the  open  sky  afTords  space 
for  the  birds  of  prey,  and  the  sea-shore 
harbors  for  the  gulls,  sea  ducks,  and  fish- 
hawks.  ...  In  very  severe  weather  the 
wildest  birds  are  often  compelled  to  come 
close  to  the  house  and  barn  in  search  of 
out-door  relief  from  gentle  hands." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  how- 
ever, the  northward  movement  begins,  in 
spite  of  the  bad  weather  surely  to  follow, 
and  during  the  last  week  the  observer 
may  note  a  decided  increase  of  such 
avaiit  couriers  as  the  grakles,  starlings, 
and  robins,  while  the  song  sparrow  is 
tuning  up,  and  some  of  the  hardy  birds 
of  prey  are  thinking  of  nest-building. 

It  is  exceedingly  fortunate  that  all  the 
birds  do  not  leave  us  in  this  month  of 
outward  desolation,  for  nothing  so  much 
as  their  cheerful  presence  in  the  February 
fields  helps  to  keep  alive  in  our  hearts 
the  sense  of  summer. 


February  24 


February  25 


32 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


February  26 


CALENDAR  FOR  FEBRUARY 

MAMMALS 

Shrews. — Active,  but  chiefly  nocturnal. 

Moles. — Active,  but  rarely  seen. 

^rt/'.y.— Occasional,  when  unusually  mild. 

Chipmunk.  —  Sometimes  abroad  on  warm 
days. 

Red  Squirrel.— A\\\Siyi  active  ;  mating. 

Gray  Squirrel.— Awake  and  active  ;  mating. 

Meadoiv  Mice. — Frequently  abroad. 

Muskrats. — Occasionally  abroad,  near  home. 

Hares. — Common  and  active. 

Deer. — Occasionally  come  out  of  the  woods. 

Gray  Fox. — Common  and  bold. 

Red  Fox.—Moxe  rarely  seen  than  the  gray  in 
the  neighborhood  of  New  York. 

^■/(■m;//^.— Occasionally  appears. 

Weasels. — Numerous  and  bold. 

Mink. — Uncommon  and  wandering. 

Otter. — Active,  but  rare. 

Black  i^t'^r.— Rarely  out  of  its  den  ;  young 
born. 

BIRDS 


(General  list  same  as  in  January) 

Woodcock. — Arrives  from  South  third  week 
of  the  month. 

Great  Homed  Ott//.— Nesting  last  week. 

Red-7vinged  Blackbird. — Arrives  from  South 
last  week,  the  males  first. 

Meado7v  Lark.  —  Arrives  from  South  last 
week  ;  a  few  often  remain  all  winter. 


February  27 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


33 


Purple  Grakle. — Arrives  from  South  second 
week. 

Robins. — Becoming  numerous. 


February  28 


FISHES 

Pickerel. — To  be  caught  through  the  ice. 

Suckers. — Abundant,  and  now  only  edible. 

Striped  Bass. — Abundant  in  the  Hudson. 

Yellow  Perch. — Common  everywhere. 

White  Perch. — Abundant  in  the  Hudson. 

Black  Bass. — Common  in  deep  lakes  and 
streams. 

Tomcod. — Common  in  the  Hudson. 

Flatfish,  or  Winter  Flounder. — Begins  spawn- 
ing. • 

Many  brook  fishes. — To  be  taken  in  deep 
fresh  waters. 

REPTILES   AND    BATRACHIANS 

All  these  are  more  or  less  torpid,  and  re- 
main so,  but  some  may  be  lured  out  for  a  few 
hours  on  very  warm  days. 


February  29 


MARCH 


The  bare  hills  glisten  in  the  ascending  sun, 

Whose  rays  compel  the  snow  to  hide 

In  clefts  and  crevices,  his  power  to  shun." 


wr^ -■"■ .-  ^i9f, 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR  37 


MARCH 

March   now   stands  on  our  calendar  March 

as  the  first  of  the  spring  months,  and  in  

Great  Britain,  where  the  calendar  was 
made,  and  whence  we  get  our  literary- 
view  of  it,  it  really  is  so;  but  the  North 
American  climate  is  considerably  behind 
'.hat  of  England,  and  our  March  is  usually 
jnore  wintry  than  spring-like.  To  the 
zoologist,  even  when  March  "comes  in 
like  a  lamb,"  winter  seems  still  in  full 
force,  and  the  coming  forward  of  plant 
life  is  provokingly  slow  and  uncertain. 
Neverthless  its  progress  is  sure,  and  pres- 
et ^ly  will  quicken  into  rapidity  of  pace. 
Re  ots  are  at  work  again,  drawing  suste- 
nance into  the  stems  of  shrubs  and  trees 
and  greenness  into  sprouting  root-leaves, 
even  under  ice  and  snow.  The  sap  wells 
up  into  the  trees,  and  stimulates  leaf 
packets  and  flower  buds  into  a  swelling 
growth  that  will  enable  them  a  little  later 
to  burst  into  a  simultaneous  and  sudden 
development  over  the  whole  forest.  Yet 
just  when  this  begins,  or  how  fast  it  pro- 
ceeds, is  hidden  from  our  eyes.  "  No  mor- 
tal," remarks  Thoreau,  "  is  alert  enough 
to  be  ^resent  at  the  first  dawn  of  spring." 

B'li  the  experienced  observer  notes  the 


38 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  2 


change  in  the  appearance  of  the  woods 
that  denotes  its  coming  long  before  win- 
ter relaxes  its  grasp.  He  sees  a  peculiar 
brightening  of  color  in  the  contour-twigs 
of  the  groves  and  swamps,  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  month  the  ruddy  hue  of 
the  leafiess  maple  crowns  is  plain  for 
half  a  mile.  This  reddishness  is  due  less 
to  the  twigs,  however,  than  to  the  blos- 
soms which  appear  long  before  the  leaves, 
as  also  do  the  blossoms  of  the  aspen  ;  and 
the  bees  hum  about  them  for  their  earliest 
spring  feast,  save,  perhaps,  the  sweets  they 
have  sucked  from  the  skunk  cabbage. 

Now,  too,  is  the  time  for  "  pussies,"  the 
drooping,  fuzzy  catkins  of  the  willows, 
alders,  and  birches,  which  children  love 
to  gather;  and  by  the  close  of  the  month, 
even  in  northern  New  England,  the  hazel 
is  covered  with  its  minute  but  exquisite 
flowers. 

Of  lowlier  plants  those  in  and  about 
the  waters  where  the  ice  is  disappearing 
show  most  verdancy — greenest  and  largest 
of  all  the  skunk  cabbage,  which  is  scat- 
tered about  the  black  ooze  of  half-flooded 
woods  like  so  many  great  emeralds.  The 
bees  welcome  it  and  get  a  good  supply  of 
the  first  of  the  season's  sweetness  in  the 
pollen  of  its  great  flowers.  But  if  one 
scrape  away  the  matted  dead  leaves,  or 
even  the  snow,  one  may  find,  early  in  the 
month,  many  little  plants  that  have  put 
forth  their  primary  leaves,  and  will  soon 
push  out  into  the  sunlight;  and  some  of 


March  3 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


39 


these  speedily  blossom  into  the  first  flow- 
ers of  spring.  Such  are  the  liv^erwort  or 
hepatica,  and  that  most  fragrant  and 
exquisite  of  early  blossoms,  the  trailing 
arbutus,  or  epigaea.  These  are  soon  fol- 
lowed by  others,  but  north  of  the  Delaware 
Valley  one  cannot  hope  to  make  much  of 
a  bouquet  before  April. 

Until  the  cold  diminishes  and  vegeta- 
tion springs  up,  insect  life  cannot  flourish 
largely,  and  hence  fly-catching  birds,  and 
the  many  other  creatures  that  depend 
upon  insects  for  food,  are  not  to  be  ex- 
pected. Clouds  of  gnats  and  the  water- 
bugs  appear  as  soon  as  the  ponds  are 
open,  skating  about  the  placid  surface  in 
search  of  prey,  and  such  hardy  folk  as  the 
spiders  and  beetles  wake  up  and  begin  to 
travel.  "  Very  early  in  the  spring,"  says 
Packard,  "  stones  can  be  upturned,  ants' 
nests  searched,  and  the  muddy  waters 
sifted  for  species  [of  beetles]  not  met 
with  at  other  times  of  the  year."  Even 
butterflies  maybe  collected  now— certain 
species  of  tortoise-shell  ( Vanessa)  and 
angle-wing  {Grapta). 

The  streams,  relieved  of  their  fetters  of 
ice  and  swollen  by  melting  snow  and  rain, 
widely  overflow  their  banks  and  begin  to 
teem  with  life  recalled  from  deep  waters 
or  aroused  from  chambers  in  the  mud. 
Hosts  of  small  fishes  ascend  the  streams, 
explore  every  tributary,  and  spread  far 
and  wide  over  the  flooded  meadows,  find- 
ing an  abundance  of  food   and  growing 


March  4 


40 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


March  6 


strong  and  fat;  of  these  the  eel-pout  is 
perhaps  the  earHest  migrant,  appearing 
the  instant  the  ice  goes  out.  This  is  the 
time  chosen  by  the  smaller  members  of 
the  pike  family  for  spawning.  "The 
pickerel,"  Mr.  Mosher  tells  us,  •'  are 
spring  -  spavvners  ;  hence  boys  see  them 
just  as  soon  as  the  ice  has  cleared  out, 
the  snow-water  gone,  and  the  warm  days 
come.  They  are  found  in  shoal  water 
among  weeds,  or  where  the  branches  of 
trees  are  projecting  from  the  shore  into 
the  water.  Here  they  are  found  in  pairs, 
gently  swimming  backward  and  forward 
in  the  stream,  rubbing  side  by  side  until 
the  female  is  ready  to  spawn.  They  are 
careless  fish — leaving  the  spawn  to  take 
care  of  itself  until  the  gentle  undulations 
of  the  stream  and  the  warmth  of  the  sun's 
rays  produce  the  young  fry." 

March  is  the  month  of  frogs.  All  win- 
ter they  have  been  silent  and  asleep  in 
the  earth  or  in  frozen  spring  -  holes,  but 
the  moment  the  ice  disappears  from  the 
waters,  and  the  early  insects  begin  to 
hum,  they  arouse  themselves  and  set 
about  the  great  business  of  all  nature — 
the  continuation  of  their  race.  For  this 
purpose  all  frogs  —  aquatic,  wood,  and 
tree,  as  also  the  toads — must  resort  to 
water  in  order  to  place  their  eggs  where 
the  young  may  grow  properly  when  they 
are  hatched. 

Thronging  to  the  marshes,  ponds,  and 
quiet  streams,  they  break  out  some  morn- 


March  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


41 


ing  with  surprising  suddenness  into  that 
croaking,  rattling  chorus  of  frog-talk  that 
is  the  most  characteristic  noise  of  early 
spring.  Among  the  earliest,  often  begin- 
ning in  February,  are  the  "peepers"  or 
"  tree-toads  " — Pickering's  and  the  com- 
mon changeable  one.  Eggs  of  the  former 
are  laid  and  hatch  within  a  few  days,  in 
masses  of  six  or  eight;  but  the  latter 
breeds  later.  With  their  peeping  is  soon 
mingled  the  clamor  of  cricket  -  frogs, 
checkered  leopard-frogs,  the  green  spring- 
frogs,  then  the  twanging  bellow  of  the 
bull-frogs,  and  at  last  the  chorus  is  com- 
plete when  the  pretty  wood-frog  sets  up 
its  loud  clucking  towards  the  middle  of 
the  month  when  the  sexes  are  meeting  by 
the  water.  The  female  of  the  wood-frog 
is  twice  the  size  of  the  male,  and  deposits 
a  mass  of  eggs  as  large  as  one's  fist,  from 
which  tadpoles  escape  in  about  a  week. 
An  elaborate  account  of  the  breeding, 
hatching,  and  day -by -day  development 
of  this  species,  written  by  Miss  Mary  H. 
Hinckley,  may  be  found  in  the  "  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History,"Vol.XXII.,Oct.,  1882,  pp.  85-95. 
De  Kay  notes,  in  respect  to  the  leopard- 
frogs,  above  referred  to,  that  they  are  ap- 
propriately so  called  in  Massachusetts. 
He  says  that  in  his  day  "  from  its  simul- 
taneous appearance  with  the  shad  it  is 
frequently  called  the 'shad  frog'";  and 
he  adds  that  the  Swedish  colonists  of 
New  Jersey  "  named  them  still  hoppetos- 


March  8 


42 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  lo 


ser,  or  '  herring-hoppers,'  from  their  ap- 
pearance at  the  commencement  of  the 
herring  season."  This  popular  observa- 
tion was  no  more  exact  than  that  which 
named  the  shadbush  or  called  the  golden- 
winged  woodpecker  "shad  spirit." 

During  the  last  half  of  this  first  spring 
month  you  may  gather  varied  tadpoles 
from  every  pool,  which  mature  with  more 
or  less  rapidity,  according  to  the  warmth 
they  get.  These  tadpoles  form  a  part  of 
the  food  of  many  fishes,  turtles,  and  even 
of  the  large  predaceous  water  insects 
that  are  already  abroad  and  active.  The 
frogs  themselves  are  preyed  upon  by  va- 
rious owls  and  hawks,  especially  by  the 
slate-colored  marsh  hawk,  which  is  one 
of  the  earliest  arrivals  (staying  all  winter 
in  the  Southern-Middle  States),  and  later 
by  snakes,  mergansers,  herons,  and  the 
like,  and  by  such  mammals  as  the  skunk. 

The  toads  and  salamanders  (except  a 
few  of  the  common  green  newts,  which 
seem  to  breed  all  the  year  round)  lay 
their  eggs  later.  Most  of  the  salamanders 
are  awake  before  the  end  of  the  month  in 
ordinary  seasons. 

Ask  a  farmer  :  "  What  is  the  earliest 
sign  of  spring  ?"  and  he  will  probably  say : 
"The  shedding  of  her  coat  by  my  old 
mare."  Not  only  the  horses,  the  cattle, 
and  the  family  dog  are  putting  off  their 
winter  overcoats  of  warmer  fur,  but  wild 
animals  do  the  same,  as  March  advances; 
and  in  the  North  the  animals  whose  coats 


March  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


43 


have  turned  white  now  begin  to  resume 
their  brown  summer  wear.  The  time 
when  this  change  takes  place  depends 
upon  the  comparative  lateness  of  the 
season,  and  upon  latitude ;  in  Canada 
and  northern  New  England  it  will  usu- 
ally be  postponed  into  mid-April.  "  It  is 
surprising,"  remarks  W.  E.  Cram,  "how 
rapidly  the  ermine  changes  from  white 
to  brown  after  the  process  is  once  be- 
gun ;  one  that  I  caught  in  a  trap  re- 
cently showed  the  transformation  nearly 
complete,  the  back  being  of  a  peculiar 
shade  of  reddish  buflf  with  only  one  or 
two  little  spots  of  pure  white  fur,  while 
the  sides  w^ere  thickly  sprinkled  with  long 
white  hairs,  which  were  already  detached 
from  the  skin  and  constantly  shedding. 
The  tail  was  divided  into  three  distinct 
sections  of  color,  black  at  the  tip  for 
about  an  inch,  as  in  winter,  then  white 
for  the  same  distance,  and  brown  next 
the  body.  The  white  of  the  tail  was  con- 
fined to  the  long,  coarse  hairs  overlying 
the  soft  under- fur,  which  was  already 
brown.  The  feet  were  still  white,  like 
the  under  surface  of  the  body  and  throat, 
which  remain  so  throughout  the  season. 
.  .  .  The  new  brown  fur  must  have 
grown  out  with  great  rapidity,  for  it  was 
then  about  as  long  as  it  ever  would  be. 

"  In  fact,  I  am  not  yet  fully  convinced 
that  it  was  new  fur,  but  rather  the  old 
under-fur  of  the  last  winter  turned  brown, 
and  that  only  the  long  over-hair  is  shed 


March  12 


March  13 


44 


A^ATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  14 


in  the  spring.  Tlie  more  carefully  I  ex- 
amined the  fur  of  the  specimen  before 
me,  the  more  I  was  persuaded  that  this 
was  actually  the  case,  and  that  the  ermine 
habitually  goes  about  with  only  its  under- 
fur  on  during  the  spring  and  summer,  to 
give  place  to  a  new  coat  of  short  hair, 
which  grows  longer  and  is  reinforced  by 
thick  under-fur  in  the  autumn  ;  while  the 
whole  turns  white  in  November,  through 
some  inexplicable  process  which  works 
alike  with  weasel  and  northern  hare  and 
ptarmigan,  while  the  coats  of  other  ani- 
mals remain  practically  unchanged  as  far 
as  color  is  concerned." 

The  rabbits  skurrying  about  the  rust- 
ling brush  and  sere  meadows  are  not  only 
thin  but  ragged,  and,  what  is  of  more  ac- 
count, the  pelts  of  the  fur-bearers  are  no 
longer  of  much  account  to  the  trapper, 
because  the  minks  and  others  of  the  more 
southerly  woods  have  been  so  careless  in 
squeezing  through  rocky  rifts  and  mouse- 
holes  that  they  have  worn  and  torn  their 
coats  very  sadly.  The  breaking  up  of  the 
ice  lets  the  muskrat  come  out  of  his  home 
and  feed  on  shore,  and  the  raccoon  come 
down  to  the  bank  to  get  his  favorite  cray- 
fish and  mussels;  he  has  young  at  this 
season  in  some  hollow  tree. 

The  barking  of  the  red  squirrel  is  heard 
again,  and  all  its  cousins  come  out  of  their 
vermin  -  infested  retreats  and  begin  to 
build  clean  and  cool  nests  of  leaves,  for 
family  cares    will   soon   overtake   them. 


March  15 


iVA  TURE '  S   CA  L  END  A  R 


45 


That  admirable  observer,  the  author  of 
Little  Beasts  of  Field  ami  Wood,  gives  us 
a  pleasant  seasonal  note  quotable  just 
here : 

"  In  March  the  red  squirrels  tap  the 
maple -trees  for  their  sap  by  gnawing 
through  the  bark  on  the  upper  sides  of 
horizontal  branches.  The  little  cavities 
so  made  quickly  fill  to  overflowing,  and, 
stretched  out  at  ease,  the  squirrels  regale 
themselves  to  their  satisfaction.  .  .  .  But 
their  lives  are  far  too  busy  to  allow  them 
to  spend  their  entire  time  in  this  manner, 
and  during  their  absence  the  sap  is  apt 
to  form  into  icicles,  which,  when  the 
temperature  of  the  wind  and  other  con- 
ditions are  favorable,  may  be  constantly 
evaporating  and  gathering  new  material 
at  the  same  time,  so  that  the  sugar  con- 
tained in  the  sap  finally  collects  in  rich, 
honey-colored  drops  of  syrup  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  icicle,  possessing  an  even 
more  refined  and  delicious  flavor  than 
that  obtained  by  the  more  violent  proc- 
ess of  boiling.  The  squirrels  appear  per- 
fectly capable  of  appreciating  this  fact, 
and  are  pretty  certain  to  be  on  hand  to 
gather  it  before  it  drops,  although  often 
obliged  to  exert  themselves  to  the  utmost 
to  reach  it." 

That  old  sleeper,  the  woodchuck,  is  re- 
called to  life  and  staggers  sleepily  to  the 
mouth  of  his  burrow  to  see  how  the  world 
gets  on.  Once  awake,  he  stays  out,  regard- 
less of  any  bad  weather  to  follow— and  it 


March  i6 


March  17 


46 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  i8 


usually  does  follow  in  the  northern  parts 
of  his  range,  where,  however,  he  rarely 
appears  before  mid-April. 

The  hibernating  chipmunks  and  field- 
mice— already  nourishing  young  in  ball- 
like nests  of  grass,  fuzz,  and  fur  under  the 
tussocks  and  old  haycocks  —  are  more 
discreet,  going  back  to  their  dens  and 
storehouses  when  the  weather  is  too 
severe,  to  doze  again  until  another  warm 
spell  invites  them  forth.  Hibernation  is 
thus  gradually  thrown  off,  as  it  was  grad- 
ually entered  upon.  I  have  read  that 
Canadian  Indians  named  March  "skunk 
moon,"  because  now  this  unsavory  mam- 
mal begins  to  be  seen  regularly. 

Few  of  the'reptiles  emerge  from  their 
torpor  before  the  end  of  the  month  in  the 
more  northerly  districts,  one  of  the  earli- 
est being  the  painted  water-turtle,  quick- 
ly followed  by  the  speckled  tortoise  along 
swampy  streams. 

Winter  birds  remain  characteristic  of 
the  first  half  of  March,  but  the  trained 
ear  notes  a  greater  liveliness  in  their 
movements,  and  some  attempts  at  a  song, 
as  though  they  were  become  eager  at  the 
prospect  of  soon  getting  back  to  their 
Canadian  summer  resorts.  Two  or  three 
species,  indeed,  are  already  there,  and 
busy  at  nest-building,  but  these  are  un- 
familiar ones,  like  the  big  owls  and  the 
crossbills.  Among  us  near  New  York, 
however,  the  barred  owl  is  the  only  one  to 
breed  so  early,  regularly  making  its  rude 


March  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  47 


nest  in  the  top  of  some  forest-tree  about  March  20 

the  middle  of  the  month,  where  frequent-  

ly  the  sitting  bird   is  half  smothered  in 
snow. 

By  the  15th  the  earlier  water-fowl  are 
passing  northward  and  summer  friends 
begin  to  reappear.  Sportsmen  know  that 
as  fast  as  the  ice  leaves  the  lakes  and 
rivers  flocks  of  ducks  and  geese  will 
drop  down  from  the  sky  upon  them  at 
evening,  and  they  go  after  them  in  the 
chilly  gray  of  these  mornings,  when  wa- 
ter-fowl feed  preparatory  to  taking  a  far- 
ther flight;  and  as  the  frost  and  fresh- 
ets leave  the  lowlands  other  sportsmen 
tramp  thither  in  search  of  early  snipe  and 
plovers. 

The  characteristic  birds  of  March, 
however,  are  the  blackbirds  and  spar- 
rows, with  here  and  there  a  robin,  wren, 
pewee,  and  the  always  welcome,  ever  love- 
ly bluebird.  "  As  with  tinkling  sounds 
the  sources  of  the  streams  burst  forth 
their  icy  fetters,  so  the  rills  of  music  be- 
gin to  flow  and  swell  the  general  choir 
of  spring."  The  cheery  cong-ker-eee  of 
the  redwing  come  from  swamp  and  river 
bank  on  clear,  warm  mornings,  when  the 
air  is  balmy  with  the  breath  of  the  south 
wind  and  the  smell  of  the  new  earth,  and 
a  thousand  still  pools  in  the  meadows 
reflect  the  clear  blue  sky — mirrors  that 
the  sun  will  soon  dry  away;  and  from 
every  thicket  along  the  edges  of  the  leaf- 
less but  budding  woods  comes  the  re-     

March  21 


48 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  22 


joicing  roundelay  of  the  song  sparrow. 
As  I  have  written  elsewhere : 

"  He  starts  off  with  a  few  rattling 
notes,  makes  a  quick  leap  to  a  high 
strain,  ascends  through  many  a  melo- 
dious variation  to  the  key-note,  and  sud- 
denly stops,  leaving  his  song  to  sing  itself 
through  in  your  brain.  To  amplify  an- 
other's illustration,  it  is  as  though  he 
said  'press-/r<?jj-PRESS-BY-TEEEE-RiAN- 
iaji!  '  His  clear  tenor,  the  gurgling,  bub- 
bling alto  of  the  blackbirds,  the  slender 
purity  of  the  bluebird's  soprano,  and  the 
solid  basso  profundo  of  the  frogs,  with 
the  accompaniment  of  the  April  wind 
piping  on  the  bare  reeds  of  winter,  or  the 
drumming  of  raindrops,  form  the  natural- 
ist's spring  quartette— as  pleasing,  if  not 
as  grand,  as  the  full  chorus  of  leafy  June." 

Goldfinches,  too,  are  here,  but  not  yet 
in  their  gay  plumage,  nor  animated  into 
song.  Slate -colored  snow-birds  dart 
hither  and  yon,  chirping  in  metallic  sylla- 
bles. In  all  the  open  meadows,  when  the 
new  grass  is  shooting  its  green  spears  up 
through  the  matted  and  sere  foggage, 
are  flitting  the  miscalled  "  tree  "  sparrows, 
and  the  vesper  sparrows,  the  latter  flirt- 
ing their  white-tipped  tails  and  carolling 
sweetly  in  the  dusk,  where  meadow-larks 
are  loudly  calling.  The  thickets  harbor 
restless  bands  of  white- throated  spar- 
rows, called  Peabody  birds  in  New  Eng- 
land, in  imitation  of  their  lively  melody: 
and   among   them    you  will    meet,   more 


March  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


rarely,  a  cousin,  the  white-crowned,  whose 
cheery  cry  is  praiWz'e,  re-re-ree. 

But  the  prize  of  this  group  is  the  large 
and  uncommon  fox  sparrow,  whose  song 
is  a  rich,  modulated  whistle,  finer,  more 
cultivated  than  that  of  any  other  spar- 
row, and  a  treat  to  the  ear  among  the 
cheery  but  less  musical  jingles  of  the 
other  finches.  Another  very  beautiful 
song,  sometimes  begun  amid  the  uncer- 
tainties of  March,  is  that  of  the  purple 
finch,  but  none  equals  that  of  the  fox 
sparrow— not  even  the  wonderfully  loud 
yet  musical  fluting  of  the  winter  wren. 

Very  characteristic  of  these  early  days 
of  reviving  nature,  also,  is  the  sonorous 
drumming  of  the  small  woodpeckers  on 
some  dry  and  resonant  limb — a  distinctly 
musical  performance.  It  is  usually  the 
downy,  but,  as  Mr.  Burroughs  says,  "he 
is  not  rapping  at  the  door  of  a  grub  ;  he 
is  rapping  at  the  door  of  spring."  It  is 
a  method  of  amusement  and  expression 
and  of  advertisement  for  a  mate. 

Formerly  in  the  East,  and  still  to  some 
extent  in  the  middle  West,  long  sinuous 
lines  of  wild  pigeons  were  wont  to  sweep 
across  the  gray  March  skies — an  inspiring 
sight.  This  bird,  once  so  characteristic 
of  the  month,  is  almost  extinct;  but 
there  arrives  in  our  latitude  about  the 
middle  of  the  month  its  cousin,  the  Caro- 
lina or  mourning  dove,  a  bird  so  gentle 
and  apparently  delicate  that  it  is  a  sur- 
prise to  see  it  in  this  bleak  weather,  and 


50 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  26 


its  plaintive  note  at  evening  seems  to  ex- 
press the  deepest  regret  at  having  left  so 
soon  the  sunny  South,  where  its  winter 
was  passed. 

Few  birds  settle  down  to  house  cares 
so  early  as  this  month  north  of  Virginia 
and  the  Ohio  Valley.  The  crow  may  some- 
times do  so,  and  a  few  robins  and  blue- 
birds are  so  eager  to  begin  housekeeping 
that  they  will  not  wait  for  a  better  sea- 
son, but  they  often  come  to  grief  in  con- 
sequence, especially  the  phoebe-bird, which 
frequently  pays  for  her  haste  and  temer- 
ity by  freezing  and  starvation. 


March  27 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


CALENDAR  FOR  MARCH 

MAMMALS 

Hibernating  species  reappear. 

Little  Brown  Bat. — First  one  out,  first  week. 

Gray  Squirrels. — Building  tree  nests  ;  first 
litters  sometimes  produced. 

Red  Squirrels.  —  Preparing  new  tree -built 
nests  for  first  litter  of  young  ;  regaling  them- 
selves on  maple  sap. 

Weasels. — Begin  to  turn  from  white  to 
brown,  earlier  or  later,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances, and  to  seek  mates. 

Minks. — Seeking  mates  ;  coats  much  faded 
and  worn. 

Bears. — Young  able  to  follow  their  mothers. 

Raccoons. — Young  born  late  this  month. 

Deer. — Shedding  their  coats  and  losing  antlers. 

BIRDS 

Sheldrakes. — Passing  North  last  week. 

Mallards. — Passing  North  last  week. 

Pintail  or  Sprigtail  Ducks. — Passing  North 
last  fortnight. 

Wood  Duck. — Arrives  from  South  last  week. 

Scoter  Ducks. — Depart  northward. 

Ruddy  Ducks. — Passing  North  last  fortnight. 

Canada  Geese. — Passing  northward. 

Snipes. — Pass  northward. 

Some  bay-birds  pass  northward. 

Mourning  Dove. — Arrives  from  South  sec- 
ond week. 

Marsh  Haivk. — Arrives  from  South  first  week. 

Rough-legged  Hawk'. — Passing  northward. 

Baj'red  Ozul. — Nesting,  second  week. 

Phcebe  -  bird. — Arrives  from  South  second 
week  ;  sometimes  begins  nesting. 


52 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


March  30 


Cow-bird. — Arrives  from  South  third  week. 

Red-u-inged  Blackbirds. — Arrive  from  South 
third  week,  the  males  a  few  days  in  advance  of 
the  females. 

Rusty  Blackbird. — Arrives  from  South  third 
week  ;  appears  in  pairs,  not  flocks. 

Purple  Grakle.  —  Advance  flocks  arrive  in 
early  seasons. 

Purple  Finch. — Winter  residents  begin  sing- 
ing. 

Fox  Sparrotu. — Arrives  from  South  second 
week. 

Song  Sparrows. — Become  noticeable  and 
begiii  singing. 

Bluebirds. — Become  numerous  and  begin 
singing,  and  sometimes  nesting. 

Many  winter  birds  linger  through  the  month. 


BATRACHIANS  AND  REPTILES 

Salamanders .  —  Occasionally  seen  about 
springs. 

Frogs. — All  kinds  seeking  water  and  depos- 
iting eggs  ;  the-  tree  frogs,  or  peepers,  earliest 
and  the  wood-frogs  latest 

Snakes. — Rare  ;  a  few  come  out  on  warm 
days  towards  the  last  and  bask  in  the  sun; 
some  kinds  are  mating. 

Turtles  and  Tortoises. — Awake,  the  aquatic 
species  appearing  earlier  than  the  terrestrial 
ones ;  and  some  are  mating  in  southerly  locali- 
ties. 

FISHES 
(See  Calendars  for  February  and  April) 

Pickerel. — Spawning  in  grassy  shallows. 


March  31 


INSECTS 

(See  January  and  April  Calendars) 


APRIL 


The  south  wind's  balm  is  in  the  air, 
The  melting  snow-wreaths  everywhere 
Are  leaping  off  in  showers." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


55 


APRIL 

April  is  the  child  of  March  rather  than  April  i 

the  father  of  May.  Its  weather  is  as  un- 
certain  as  the  origin  and  meaning  of  its 
name,  but  it  is  pretty  sure  to  be  wet  and 
chilly  in  northerly  latitudes,  however  de- 
lightful it  may  be  in  the  "  sunny  South," 
where  one  may  "lean  his  cheek  against 
the  air  as  if  it  were  velvet,"  as  has  been 
said.  Now  and  then  a  balmy  fragrant 
day  of  that  sort  soothes  and  delights  us, 
even  in  bleak  New  England,  whose  snow- 
drifts are  not  yet  wholly  melted,  and 
these  days  exert  a  wonderful  growing  in- 
fluence upon  the  plants.  April  is  the 
month  of  unfolding  leaves,  which  swell 
with  the  sap  now  pumped  up  energeti- 
cally from  the  frost-free  earth,  moist  with 
spring  rains,  and  the  woods  take  on  a 
singular  and  evanescent  beauty,  assum- 
ing a  misty,  gauze-like  robe  of  the  most 
delicate  green  and  pale  red,  formed  by 
the  starting  foliage.  The  end  of  the 
month  has  come  before  the  forests  are 
fully  leaved,  even  as  far  south  as  the 
Potomac. 

Under  foot,  meanwhile,  the  herbage  is 
springing,  green  and  tender,  among  the 
drifted  leaves,  whose  substance  has  sunk 


56 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


y^pj-il  2  into   the   soil    with    the    rains    for    their 

nourishment,  and  the  farmer's  cattle  and 

nature's  more  timid  grazers  are  feeding 
with  content  and  joy  on  every  meadow 
and  hill-side ;  and  day  by  day  we  find  in 
the  woods  more  and  more  of  those 
sweetest  of  the  botanist's  treasures,  the 
early  wild  flowers  of  spring.  Their  first 
leaves,  rolled  into  a  close  cone  (the 
adder's  tongue  is  a  good  example),  easily 
push  through  the  moistened  soil,  and  in 
a  breath  of  the  south  wind,  as  it  were, 
they  suddenly  burst  into  bloom. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  April's 
flowers  are  usually  frail,  certain  species 
which  later  grow  tall  and  stout  blooming 
at  this  early  season  close  to  the  ground. 
White,  or  white  flushed  with  pink,  or 
honey-color  deepening  in  some  flowers 
into  buttercup-yellow,  as  in  marsh  mari- 
gold, seem  to  be  the  prevailing  colors 
now.  It  is  as  if  the  plants  had  been 
differently  afi'ected  by  their  waiting  under 
the  snow — some  bleached  and  others  yel- 
lowed. 

A  few  violets,  blooming  cautiously  near 
the  end  of  the  month,  bring  in  a  new 
color  tone ;  the  vivid  green,  purple,  and 
crimson  of  the  skunk  cabbage  remain  as 
a  relic  of  March;  while  the  great  red- 
purple,  evil  -  smelling  triangles  of  the 
purple  trillium  make  jarring  notes  in  this 
color  scheme.  The  trailing  arbutus,  well 
fortified  by  its  woody  structure  to  with- 
stand the  snow,  opens  its  chalices  of  per- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


fume,  ranging  through  the  tints  of  shell- 
pink,  before  the  ground  has  yet  dried  in 
the  shelter  of  the  hemlock  woods.  The 
saxifrage  sends  up  its  little  tufts  of  tiny 
fiovvers,  purely  white  on  the  cliffs,  crowd- 
mg  the  wonderfully  feathery,  fern-like 
leaves  of  the  Dutchman's  breeches,  whose 
rows  of  comically  shaped  but  dainty,  yel- 
low-tipped white  blossoms  are  now  hang- 
ing from  bending  stalks.  At  the  base  of 
the  rocks,  if  the  ground  be  sufficiently 
rich,  stand  the  white  flowers  of  the 
.  bloodroot,  which  are  not  only  inwrapped, 
as  buds,  in  a  folded  leaf,  but  even  take 
the  precaution  of  folding  up  their  glossy- 
white  petals  at  night.  This  wise  pre- 
caution against  the  chilly  night  is  also 
adopted  by  the  pale-blue,  pink,  and  albino 
flowers  of  the  liv^er-leaf  {Hepatica),  per- 
haps also  by  the  cross-shaped  blossoms 
of  the  cruciferae  that  bloom  at  this  sea- 
son, by  the  delicate  flushed  bells  of  the 
anemone,  and  by  the  pert,  thin  petals  of 
the  rue  anemone.  The  perishable,  pink- 
striped  flowers  of  the  spring  beauty  cer- 
tainly shrink  again  into  the  semblance  of 
buds  when  the  evening  shadows  fall  upon 
them. 

What  is  more  brilliantly  white  in  April 
than  the  showy  domes  of  the  shad-bush 
(noting  the  coming  of  the  welcome  fish) 
that  dot  the  hill -slopes  with  as  brave 
a  show  of  high  lights  as  even  the  dog- 
woods can  furnish  }  Behind  it,  on  north- 
ern   hill -sides,  flourish    large    bushes    of 


58 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


^     .J  fly  honeysuckle,  covered  with  pale  green 

— — -  leaves,  the  slender  branches  tipped  with 

pairs  of  honey-colored  bells. 

In  the  swamp  yellow  prevails.  There 
one  finds  the  marsh  marigold,  growing 
fairly  in  the  water  ;  the  leatherwood,  with 
little  yellow  pairs  of  flowers;  and  the 
golden  knots  of  bloom  threaded  along 
the  olive-colored  branches  of  the  spice- 
bush  ;  while  wide  spaces  of  marshy  land 
are  gilded  by  the  hanging  lilies  of  the 
adder's  tongue. 

The  coming  of  plentiful  sunshine  and 
soft  airs  brings  out  of  retirement,  and 
hatches  from  eggs  safely  laid  away  last 
fall,  a  large  number  of  "small  and  early" 
insects,  whose  humming  fills  the  blossom- 
covered  maples,  basswoods,  and  other 
honey-laden  trees;  also  bark-borers,  bee- 
tles, and  other  hardy  forms  that  live  on 
tree-trunks  or  on  or  near  the  ground  ; 
ants  and  worms  are  throwing  up  their 
hillocks  everywhere;  a  sprinkling  of 
moths  and  butterflies  appears;  and  in 
chase  of  all  these  go  industrious  para- 
sites, such  as  the  ichneumons. 

Among  the  moths  and  butterflies  small, 
dull-colored  forms  prevail — the  advance- 
guard  of  the  brilliant  hosts  of  midsum- 
mer. Such  are  the  little,  gray,  night- 
flying  moths;  several  species  of  tortri- 
cids,  mostly  those  whose  young  prey 
upon  fruit,  such  as  the  apple  worm  ;  these 
must,  therefore,  be  on  hand  to  deposit 
their  eggs  in  the  fruit  buds.     Tineids  are 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  59 


to  be  seen,  too — the  family  to  which  the  April  s 

clothes  moth  belongs — and  it  is  now  that  ^      - 

these  and  other  household  pests  begin  to 
lay  their  eggs.  The  common,  black- 
streaked  brown  butterflies  (  Vanessa)  are 
more  or  less  about,  and  towards  the  latter 
part  of  the  month  we  begin  to  see  sev- 
eral other  small,  low-flying,  and  usually 
blue  butterflies,  chiefly  elfins  {Lycaiia) 
and  orange-tips  {Euchloe). 

With  these  appear  the  coddling  moth, 
and  those  swift,  pretty  flies  {Bombylius) 
whose  "  eggs  are  laid  in  the  nests  of  bees, 
where  the  half  -  cylindrical,  long,  fleshy, 
smooth,  unarmed  larvae  devour  the  bee 
larvse."  The  peach-spoiling  beetle  {Eicro- 
myia)  is  now  feeding  on  sap,  and  pres- 
ently will  be  flying  about  the  fields  and 
woods,  where,  as  the  month  closes,  mos- 
quitoes and  gnats  begin  to  be  trouble- 
some and  the  dragon-flies  are  coming  to 
feed  upon  them. 

In  and  about  the  water  insect  and 
crustacean  life  is  well  advanced — pretti- 
est of  all  the  glass-like,  fairy  shrimps — so 
that  the  fishes  and  turtles,  that  have  been 
on  short  commons,  are  eagerly  enjoying 
a  feast,  getting  fat  and  brisk,  and  begin- 
ning to  discharge  the  duty  of  egg-laying, 
so  that  the  young  may  be  hatched  and 
get  a  fair  start  for  growth  during  the 
summer.  Hence,  in  every  stream  and 
lake  and  bit  of  inland  water  the  domestic 
life  of  the  fishes  begins  now,  as  does  that 
of  the  birds  of  the  air. 


6o  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

April  6  None   is  a  better   t\^pe    of    the    brook 

~  fishes   than   the    perch,    the    handsome, 

gold-colored,  darkly  barred  type  of  all 
the  bony  fishes.  You  will  find  him 
wherever  there  are  quiet  waters  of  mod- 
erate depth,  loitering  in  pools  under  hol- 
low banks,  poising  in  eddies  and  shady 
reaches,  preferring  the  sides  of  the  stream 
to  its  swifter  central  currents,  and  liking 
a  sandy  or  pebbly  bottom  better  than  a 
muddy  one.  If  you  try  to  catch  perch  in 
a  mill-pond,  you  must  drop  your  line  in 
the  deepest  water.  You  will  have  the 
best  chance  alongside  some  bridge-pier 
or  sluice-gate. 

"When  the  marsh  marigold  blooms  in 
the  meadows,  the  spawning-time  of  the 
perch  is  near  at  hand."  This  means  our 
month  in  the  middle  districts.  The 
perch's  eggs  are  about  as  large  as  poppy 
seeds,  and  cling  stickily  together  "  like 
pearl  necklaces,  in  beautifully  interlaced 
bands,"  five  or  six  feet  long  and  an  inch 
or  two  wide.  These  glutinous  ribbons 
adhere  to  twigs  and  stones  in  shallow 
water,  and  are  sought  for  as  dainties  by 
birds,  by  fishes,  and  by  all  kinds  of 
aquatic  animals,  so  that  few  out  of  the 
many  survive.  It  is  because  the  dangers 
to  which  the  eggs  and  young  are  exposed 
are  so  many  and  persistent  that  these 
creatures  are  obliged  to  lay  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  eggs  apiece,  in  order  that  one  or 
two  alone  may  have  a  chance  of  surviv- 
ing to  maturity.    Nowhere  is  the  struggle 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  6i 


for  life  more  fierce,  the   slaughter  more  April  ^ 

prodigious,  than  among  the   inhabitants  ~^ — 

of  the  waters  of  the  earth. 

Some  brook  fishes,  however,  lay  larger 
and  fewer  eggs  because  they  are  able  to 
care  for  them  to  a  considerable  extent. 
Such  IS  the  case  with  the  sunfishes,  the 
commonest  example  of  w^hich  is  the 
pumpkin-seed,  beloved  of  all  young  ang- 
lers and  some  old  ones.  These  are  most 
brilliant  of  hue  and  at  their  best  now  ; 
and  it  is  now,  too,  that  they  are  most 
easily  caught,  for  all  are  near  shore,  lay- 
ing their  eggs  or  guarding  them.  For 
this  they  prefer  still,  clear  water,  and  dur- 
ing this  month,  in  the  more  southerly 
parts  of  the  country  (but  not  until  sum- 
mer in  New  York  State)  the  female  sun- 
fish  prepares  herself  a  circular  nest  by 
removing  all  twigs,  dead  plants,  and  so 
forth,  from  a  spot  on  the  bottom  as  big 
as  a  dinner-plate,  where  she  digs  away 
the  sand  and  gravel  to  a  depth  of  three  Or 
four  inclies.  In  this  clean  hollow  she 
deposits  her  spawn.  "  It  is  curious," 
wrote  Dr.  Kirtland,  long  ago,  "to  see 
how  she  guards  the  nest  against  all  in- 
truders, seeing  in  every  fish,  even  those 
of  her  own  species,  only  an  enemy,  and 
becoming  restless  and  uneasy  until  she 
has  driven  it  away  from  her  nursery.  We 
often  find  groups  of  these  nests  placed 
near  each  other  along  the  margin  of  the 
pond  or  river,  but  always  in  very  shallow 
water.  .  .  .  They  are  frequently  encircled 


62  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


^     jj  3  by  aquatic  plants,  which  form  a  curtain 

round  them,  leaving  open  a  large  space 

for  light." 

All  of  these  perch-like  fishes,  from  the 
big  pike-perches  of  Western  rivers  to  the 
little  "  breams,"  are  fierce  and  voracious. 
Not  content  to  feed  upon  the  worms, 
grubs,  insects,  and  snails  that  abound  in 
their  waters,  they  greedily  devour  the 
eggs  and  young  of  other  fishes  whenever 
they  can  find  them,  even  of  those  of  their 
own  kind  ;  and  they  prey  like  bandits 
upon  the  smaller  sorts,  making  an  open- 
mouthed  dash  into  a  flock  of  minnows, 
and  trusting  to  luck  to  catch  one,  rather 
than  chasing  them  down.  Between  these 
and  the  bass,  the  pickerel,  and  a  dozen 
other  larger  sorts,  the  life  of  the  minnow 
is  a  constant  dodging  and  fleeing;  and 
it  is  no  wonder  they  have  become  so 
nimble  that  we  call  them  "  darters,"  for 
it  is  only  by  nimbleness  and  speed,  sus- 
picious watchfulness  and  ability  to  dive 
out  of  sight  into  the  mud,  that  they  can 
live  from  day  to  day. 

"  Minnow"  is  rather  an  indefinite  term 
in  America,  for  here  it  means  almost  any 
small  fish  which,  from  the  angler's  point 
of  view,  is  good  for  nothing  but  bait ; 
but  some  minnows  grow  to  be  of  con- 
siderable size,  as  dace  or  roach  or  gudg- 
eons. One  of  the  local  amusements  of 
the  Baltimore  people,  in  April,  is  to  go 
to  the  Patapsco  River,  near  the  Relay 
House,  and  fish   for  gudgeons  with  the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  63 


finest  sort  of  tackle  ;  they  say  it  is  capital                                                             April  o 
fun.  

The  males  of  many  of  these  small  fishes 
develop  special  colors  and  appendages 
this  month,  indicative  of  the  breeding- 
season,  and  lasting  several  weeks.  Thus 
male  chubs  become  rosy,  and  sometimes 
horny  spines  appear  on  their  heads, 
whence  the  name  horned  dace,  by  which 
they  are  frequently  known.  Other  min- 
nows are  gorgeous  during  April  and  May. 

Another  sort  of  fish  that  protects  its 
nest  is  the  bass,  a  name  that  includes  a 
great  variety  of  fishes,  some  of  which 
ought  not  to  be  so  called.  But  the  two 
sorts  of  black  bass,  and  the  rock  or  striped 
bass,  are  true  ones,  and  among  the  finest. 
They  do  not  begin  to  spawn  in  northern 
rivers  until  later,  but  in  warm  southern 
rivers  they  are  now  making  nests  by  fan- 
ning away  the  surface  mud  with  their 
fins  until  a  clean,  bowl-like  receptacle  is 
formed,  where  the  spawn  is  deposited  and 
then  is  jealously  guarded.  For  this  pur- 
pose a  gravelly  spot  is  chosen,  from  which 
the  slimy  surface  is  removed,  that  the 
eggs  may  have  clean  pebbles  to  stick  to, 
and  thus  not  be  drifted  away  with  the 
current.  They  hatch  in  eight  or  ten  days, 
during  which  time  the  female  poises  her- 
self above  them  and  protects  them  to  the 
best  of  her  ability. 

These  and  the  striped  bass  of  southern 
estuaries  are  themselves,  however,  no  re- 
specters of  the   rights  of  others.     They 


64  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

April  10  P^^y  havoc  with  everjahing   not  able  to 

defend  itself,  and  gorge  themselves  on 
the  small  fry.  Similar  in  habits  at  this 
season  are  the  white  and  the  yellow  bass 
of  the  interior  waters,  and  also  the  fine 
little  white  perch  of  the  southern  tidal 
estuaries,  which  in  these  vigorous  spring 
days  follows  and  greedily  feeds  upon  the 
hordes  of  young  eels  that  now  throng  at 
the  foot  of  every  rapid  or  dam  obstruct- 
ing their  passage  up  the  streams. 

Another  set  of  fishes  destructive  at 
this  season — ogres  of  dreadful  mien  to 
the  shiners  and  killifishes,  and  even  to 
larger  folk  of  the  river-bed — are  the  cat- 
fishes.  They  abound  in  all  the  fresh 
waters  of  the  country  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  are  easily  classified  at  a 
glance  by  their  blackish,  leathery  skins. 
big  heads,  ravenous  mouths,  and  ugly  bar- 
bels. Some  of  them,  in  sluggish  southern 
rivers,  reach  a  weight  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  but  most  of  the  species  are 
small.  All  these  siluroid  fishes,  from  the 
little  bull-head  to  the  huge  channel  cat, 
are  voracious  feeders,  and  not  at  all  nice 
in  their  tastes,  greedily  devouring  any 
animal  substance,  living  or  dead,  that 
they  can  seize,  and  frequenting  the  foulest 
water  as  well  as  streams  that  are  sweet 
and  clear.  They  keep  close  to  the  bot- 
tom, and  deposit  their  spawn  in  the  early 
spring.  A  far  nobler  spring  breeder  is  the 
handsome,  agile,  blood-thirsty  pickerel. 
These     are    entertaining    episodes    in 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  65 

brook    and   pond    life,  but   in   tlie  larger  April  11 

streams  a  still  more  interestin^j;  series  of  

facts  is  taking  place  during  these  mid- 
spring  days,  in  the  coming  of  the  migra- 
tory fishes  from  the  sea.  The  most  prom- 
inent example  all  along  our  northern  coast 
used  to  be  the  lordly  salmon — and  even 
yet  April  sees  a  few  of  them  entering  the 
clear  rivers  of  Maine,  climbing  the  rapids 
and  leaping  the  cataracts  as  of  yore  in 
eager  haste  to  reach  their  autumnal  breed- 
ing-places at  the  forest- hidden  sources  of 
the  stream.  Some  are  now  seen  annually 
in  the  Hudson. 

Other  anadromous  fishes — as  these  are 
called  which  annually  resort  from  the 
sea  to  fresh  waters — remain  to  us,  and  it 
is  still  a  matter  of  livelihood  and  enjoy- 
ment to  many  people  that  every  spring 
the  herrings,  alewives,  the  shad,  and  many 
others  crowd  into  our  watercourses  from 
the  ocean. 

Much  mystery  still  belongs  to  this 
regular  migratory  movement  of  these 
fishes.  We  can  trace  them  in  the  rivers, 
know  when  they  arrive  and  when  they 
depart;  but  where  the  winter  is  spent, 
and  how  they  are  moved  to  return  each 
spring  to  the  fresh  water,  are  little  under- 
stood. Nearly  all  these  fishes  appear 
first  in  the  extreme  south,  entering  Flor- 
ida rivers  long  before  the  northern  ones 
are  free  from  ice,  and  gradually  occu- 
pying the  latter  as  they  become  open  and 
sufficiently  warm.      Temperature   seems 


66  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

April  12  to    be    the    principal   consideration,   and 

each  kind  of  fish  seems  to  have  its  own 
ideas  of  what  is  right  in  this  respect. 
It  appears  as  though  the  oceanic  fishes, 
like  the  birds,  come  up  the  coast  as  the 
season  advances,  and  to  some  extent  this 
is  true;  but  it  is  believed  that  for  the 
most  part  they  retreat  straight  off  the 
coast  to  deep  water  in  the  fall,  and  return 
in  the  spring  from  wanderings,  the  ex- 
tent and  depth  of  which  we  have  no 
means  of  knowing.  It  seems  sure  that 
the  fishes  bred  in  certain  streams  return 
to  that  very  stream  the  next  spring,  and 
year  by  year  afterwards  as  long  as  they 
live  ;  and  this  habit  is  far  more  mysterious 
than  anything  in  the  migration  of  birds. 
The  probability  is  that  they  do  not  go 
very  far  away  from  shore. 

By  the  ist  of  April  good  sea- fishing 
has  begun  along  the  southern  coasts,  and 
by  the  end  of  the  month  it  is  at  hand 
farther  north.  The  surf  whiting,  or  tom- 
cod,  may  be  caught  in  the  Carolina  surf, 
and  sheepshead  are  plentiful  in  the  har- 
bors. Redfish  are  swimming  lazily  about 
the  southern  sounds  and  bayous  in  search 
of  food,  or  are  sunning  themseh^es  in  the 
shallows.  The  Spanish  mackerel  are  al- 
ready breeding  among  the  Sea  Islands, 
where  the  cotton  grows.  The  menhaden 
are  playing  along  the  surface  of  the  sea 
off  the  Virginia  capes,  and  will  soon  start 
the  New  Jersey  and  Long  Island  fisher- 
men at  manning  their  seine-boats.  Tautog 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


are  to  be  caught  now,  the  earhest  of  the 
sea-fishes  to  arrive  from  deep  water,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  the  lampreys,  which  are 
ascending  the  river  to  spawn  among  the 
pebbles,  with  which  they  form  a  sort  of 
nest.  Herring  are  thronging  all  along 
the  coast, 

"  And  alewives,  with  their  crowded  shoals,  in 
every  creek  do  swim," 

as  a  quaint  old  poem  describes  it. 

Alewives  are  an  inferior  sort  of  shad, 
and  the  earliest  of  the  sea-fishes  to  ascend 
the  Atlantic  rivers  in  any  great  numbers. 
The  time  varies  with  the  lateness  or 
earliness  of  the  season  and  the  conse- 
quent variation  in  the  temperature  of  the 
water.  Their  eggs  are  adhesive,  like 
those  of  the  herring,  and  stick  to  the  bot- 
tom in  shoal  water,  or  to  anything  they 
may  touch,  from  sixty  thousand  to  one 
hundred  thousand  being  laid  by  each  fe- 
male fish  at  once,  almost  all  of  which  are 
devoured  by  countless  enemies  before 
any  can  hatch. 

Later  come  the  hosts  of  that  most  im- 
portant of  all  our  eastern  anadromous 
fishes— the  shad.  They  appear  in  the  St. 
John's  River,  in  Florida,  in  November, 
and  spawn  in  March.  In  the  Savannah 
River  they  appear  in  January,  in  Albe- 
marle Sound  a  few  days  later,  and  in  the 
Chesapeake  Bay  in  February,  where,  in 
April  and  May,  the  fishing  is  at  its  height, 


68  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


April  14  vvliile  the   Delaware  and   Hudson   rivers 

see  them  nearly  as  soon,  or  whenever  the 
water  reaches  the  temperature  of  sixty  or 
seventy  degrees  Fahrenheit.  They  go  as 
high  up  the  river  and  its  tributaries  as 
possible,  and  spawn  in  the  shallow  water 
near  the  sources.  In  the  Hudson  shad- 
fishing  opens  about  the  ist  of  April, 

None  of  these  fishes  seem  to  feed  in  the 
fresh  waters  at  all,  spending  their  whole 
time  and  energy  in  frantic  haste  to  reach 
their  spawning-grounds  and  finish  their 
errands.  Then,  poor  and  weak,  they 
turn  back,  but  only  a  few  adult  fish 
ever  seem  to  regain  the  sea,  though  the 
catch  of  "back  shad"  in  the  Hudson  is 
considerable.  The  race  is  maintained  by 
the  escape  of  the  half-grown  ones,  and  by 
the  return  in  the  autumn  of  the  young 
which  are  hatched  during  the  summer 
and  at  once  begin  their  perilous  journey 
to  the  ocean. 

Lesser  marine  life  is  also  waking  up 
and  attending  to  the  first  great  duty  of 
nature  —  propagation.  Now  the  eggs  of 
the  common  edible  mussel  are  hatched, 
and  the  young  are  attaching  themselves 
to  rocks,  algae,  etc.,  in  the  tideways  at 
the  mouths  of  streams  and  harbors ;  the 
naked  Eolis  is  gluing  its  eggs  to  sea- 
weeds, and  on  the  sandy  beaches  the  big 
pear-shaped  "  winkle-shells  "  are  begin- 
ning to  spawn.  Within  the  sands  various 
tube-inhabiting  worms,  or  annelids,  espe- 
cially the  common  Nereis  are  reproduc- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


ing  their  kind,  in  which  duty  vast  num- 
bers of  males  desert  their  burrows  and  go 
swimming  about  on  the  surface  of  the 
sea.  The  crabs  and  other  crustaceans 
are  becoming  active  in  the  same  effort, 
and  now  lobsters  approach  the  shore 
from  deeper  water  in  order  to  spawn, 
and  the  lobster-fishing  for  market  opens. 

This  is  the  breeding-season  of  some  of 
the  earlier  mammals— especially  the  fur- 
bearers.  The  skunk  increases  its  burrow- 
kept  family,  the  raccoon  brings  forth,  in 
her  lofty  chamber  in  some  hollow  tree, 
from  four  to  six  baby  'coons  early  in  the 
month,  and  the  flying  squirrel  now  intro- 
duces its  kittens  to  the  world.  "  Flying 
squirrels,"  says  Dr.  Merriam,  "  make  their 
nests  in  hollows  of  trees,  frequently 
taking  possession  of  old  woodpeckers' 
holes.  They  are  easily  aroused  and  driven 
out  by  hammering  against  the  trunk.  I 
have  thus  expelled  the  occupants  of  as 
many  as  half  a  dozen  nests  in  a  single 
day's  hunt.  Their  progeny  must  be 
brought  forth  early  in  April,  for  on  the 
30th  of  April,  1878,  Dr.  C.  L.  Bagg  and 
myself  took  three  half-grown  young  from 
a  woodpecker's  hole,  about  fifteen  feet 
above  the  ground,  in  a  decayed  stub." 

The  young  of  the  red  squirrel  also  are 
born  early  in  this  month  ;  and  now,  too, 
appears  a  new  supply  of  one  of  their 
enemies  —  the  marten,  which  produces 
this  month  a  litter  of  half  a  dozen  in  a 
nest    in   some   hollow    tree    or  log.     Its 


70 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


April  i6  relative,  the  common  mink,  is  similarly 

rejoicing  in  an  addition  of  four  or  more 
to  its  family,  hidden  in  some  den  among 
rocks  or  beneath  the  roots  of  a  ]ialf-dead 
tree;  and  for  both  of  these  an  ample 
provision  of  young  field-mice  is  at  hand. 

The  otter — now  alas!  rare  within  the 
Eastern  States — was  also  wont  to  breed 
in  the  early  spring.  "  The  nest  of  the 
otter,"  we  are  told  by  Merriam,  "  is  gen- 
erally placed  under  some  shelving  bank 
or  uprooted  tree,  and  has  been  found  in  a 
hollow  stub.  Her  young  are  commonly 
brought  forth  about  the  middle  of  April, 
and  two  (rarely  one  or  three)  constitute  a 
litter." 

In  a  similar  place  young  gray  foxes  see 
the  light— perhaps  earlier  in  the  Southern 
States,  to  which  this  species  is  now  main- 
ly confined  ;  and  the  kittens  of  the  bay 
lynx  are  mewing  in  their  warm  nest 
beneath  some  fallen  tree  or  protecting 
slab  of  rock  far  in  the  forest. 

The  coats  of  all  the  fur-bearers  are  now 
ragged  and  worthless,  for  molting  has  be- 
gun, and  the  under-fur  is  beginning  to 
come  out.  The  females  of  most  of  them 
are  in  retirement,  for  the  young  of  the 
larger  part  of  the  smaller  mammals  of  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  country  are 
born  in  April  or  May.  The  game  ani- 
mals are  coming  out  of  the  deep  woods, 
and  seeking  open  places,  or  climbing 
high  up  in  the  hills,  for  the  flies  are 
beginning  to  be  troublesome,  and,  more- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


over,  they  are  in  need  of  richer  pasturage 
than  they  have  been  having.  The  deer 
resort  to  ponds  to  feed  on  succulent 
aquatic  plants. 

As  for  the  birds,  those  who  are  inter- 
ested in  their  nesting  must  now  keep 
sharply  on  the  lookout,  as  well  as  those 
who  wish  to  greet  all  the  migrants  as  fast 
as  they  come  from  the  South.  The  late- 
ness or  earliness  of  the  season  affects 
both  these  aspects  of  bird  life;  but  ar- 
rivals are  constant,  and  the  earlier  com- 
ers are  housekeeping  before  the  montli 
expires. 

Many  ducks  pass  northward  in  the 
earlier  part  of  April,  and  the  winter 
ducks  catch  the  infection  and  depart  witli 
them,  as  also  do  some  bay-birds.  Their 
place  on  the  coast  and  in  the  marshes 
is  taken  by  the  arrival  from  the  South  of 
resident  coots,  rails,  and  members  of  the 
heron  tribe,  which  come  during  the  first 
fortnight.  The  first  week  usually  brings 
to  us  the  kingfisher,  some  small  sparrows, 
white  -  bellied  swallows,  the  house  -  wren 
(a  little  before  the  departure  of  the  winter 
wren),  and  a  few  others. 

These  are  closely  followed  by  the  sea- 
side and  some  other  sparrows  on  the 
heels  of  the  northward-bound  fox  spar- 
rows, and  by  the  purple  martins,  bank 
swallows,  brown  thrashers,  and  the  earli- 
est warblers,  like  the  blackburnian.  The 
third  week  brings  still  more— whippoor- 
wills,  chimney  swifts,  chewinks,  barn  swal- 


72  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


April  iS  lows,  catbirds,  and  more  warblers,  includ- 

ing  familiar  ones,  such  as  the  oven-bird 
and  Maryland  yellow-throat. 

The  last  days  of  April  begin  to  be 
crowded  with  strangers  from  the  South, 
yet  show  us  the  most  lingering  of  our 
winter  friends,  reluctant  to  leave  us  for 
their  northern  breeding -grounds.  We 
are  likely  before  May-day  to  add  to  the 
list  the  humming-bird,  kingbird  and  his 
small  cousin,  the  chebec ;  the  eaveswal- 
low,  red -eyed,  white -eyed,  and  other 
vireos,  the  black-throated  blue,  yellow- 
rumped  and  palm  warblers,  and  those 
glorious  singers,  the  wood -thrush  and 
the  veery. 

Fewer  birds  are  nesting  than  will  be 
found  in  May,  but  nests  of  the  eagles  and 
of  duck-hawks  may  be  had  early  in  the 
month,  if  they  are  to  be  had  at  all ;  and 
other  very  early  nesters  in  April  are  the 
three  small  owls  and  the  crow,  whose 
eggs  m-A.y>  usually  be  found  before  the 
15th.  By  that  time,  or  a  little  later,  also, 
the  robin,  bluebird,  chickadee,  purple 
grakle,  and  broad-winged  hawks  are  lay- 
ing eggs. 

Meanwhile  other  birds  are  arriving  joy- 
ously at  their  summer  home,  and  display- 
ing themselves  to  each  other,  with  matri- 
mony in  view,  singing  loudly  in  rivalry 
and  out  of  pure  delight  of  existence,  so 
that  the  summer  of  bird  life  is  well  ush- 
ered in  by  the  time  the  month  draws  to 
its  close. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  73 


As  usually  happens  the  restoration  of 
bird  life  to  the  land  and  the  prospect  of 
eggs  and  fledglings  is  accompanied  by  the 
revival  of  their  principal  enemy  the  ser- 
pent. April  sees  all  the  snakes  come 
forth,  except,  perhaps,  the  rattlesnakes 
and  copperheads;  and  seeking  the  sun- 
niest and  smoothest  places  they  are  now 
constantly  encountered  in  the  roads  and' 
paths,  or  coiled  up  on  warm  stone  walls. 

The  salamanders  are  all  out  before  the 
end  of  the  month,  and  several  are  making 
their  way  to  the  water  to  breed.  They 
are  to  be  found  in  the  forests  under 
stones  and  logs,  or  amid  decaying  stumps. 
The  little  vermilion  red  newt  abounds 
everywhere  in  the  woods  (though  rather 
rare  in  northeastern  New  Jersey),  appear- 
ing in  thousands  after  warm  rains.  This 
is  a  youthful  terrestrial  form  of  the  com- 
mon green  newt  of  ponds,  which  becomes 
large  and  green  when  it  takes  to  the 
water  when  about  three  years  old.  "This 
salamander,  according  to  the  observations 
of  Professors  Gage  and  Cope,  lays  its 
eggs  [seemingly  all  the  year  round]  sin- 
gly in  the  leaves  of  plants  or  on  stones. 
The  larvae  are  more  or  less  of  the  irides- 
cent color  of  the  adult,  and  .  .  .  most  of 
them  lose  their  gills  and  leave  the  water 
at  the  end  of  the  first  season,  to  gradu- 
ally assume  the  terrestrial  form  with  its 
distinctive  red  coloration.  This  stage  is 
believed  to  continue  '  until  the  autumn  of 
the  third  or  spring  of   the  fourth   year 


April  19 


74  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


April  20  after  hatching,'  when  they  assume  adult 
form  with  its  iridescent  coloration,  gen- 
erally entering  the  water." — {Sherwood. 
Proc.  Linn.  Soc.  of  N.  V..  1895.)  The 
eggs  of  this  newt  number  eight  or  ten 
and  are  laid  separately,  in  the  course  of 
about  four  days,  each  in  an  adhesive  en- 
velope which  sticks  firmly  between  the 
folded  edges  of  a  leaf  or  between  two 
leaves  of  some  water-plant,  which  are 
pinched  together  between  the  hind  legs 
of  the  female  as  she  labors  to  extrude  the 
egg.  This  happens  only  in  warm  spring- 
fed  ponds  so  early  as  this,  the  newts  in 
the  colder  waters  of  lakes  deferring  the 
oviposition  until  June  or  later. 

Some  other  salamanders  are  breeding  at 
this  season,  when  eggs  of  both  the  marbled 
and  the  spotted  salamanders  may  be  got 
in  swamp-pools  and  still  ponds,  and  the 
parents  remain  near  by.  The  spawning 
habits  and  larval  growth  of  the  latter  are 
a  fair  type  of  the  ^^xow^^Ajublystoina).  Her 
eggs  are  hollow  spheres,  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  embedded  or  com- 
bined in  a  large  mass  of  perfectly  trans- 
parent jelly.  Within  each  sphere  is  a 
dark  yolk,  which  in  the  course  of  some 
days  becomes  considerably  elongated,  and 
exhibits  signs  of  animation  which  in  a 
few  days  result  in  the  birth  of  a  young 
salamander,  which  struggles  out  of  the 
egg-envelope.  "  At  this  time,"  says  Cope, 
"  it  is  about  half  an  inch  in  length,  and 
consists  simply  of  head,  body,  and  tail, 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


the  latter  with  a  well-developed  fin   ex-  a     m 

tending  from  the  head  and  arms  to  the  — 

extremity  of  the  body.  Respiration  is 
performed  by  means  of  three  gills  pro- 
jecting from  each  side  of  the  neck,  of 
very  simple  construction,  however,  and 
with  but  few  branches. 

"The  absence  of  limbs  is  compensated 
by  the  existence  of  a  club-shaped  ap- 
pendage on  each  side  of  the  head,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  angle  of  the  mouth,  and 
representing  the  cirri  observ^ed  in  some 
adult  salamanders.  By  means  of  these 
appendages  the  young  salamanders  are 
enabled  to  anchor  themselves  securely  to 
objects  in  the  water.  In  the  course  of  a 
few  days  a  tubercle  is  seen  to  form  on 
each  side,  just  behind  the  head  and  under 
the  gills,  which  elongates  and  finally  forks 
at  each  end,  first  into  two,  then  three,  and 
at  last  into  four  branches,  thus  exhibiting 
the  anterior  extremities,  with  the  four 
fingers,  which  latter,  in  the  larva,  are 
very  long.  Before  the  fore-legs  become 
completely  formed,  those  behind  sprout 
out  in  a  similar  manner,  with  first  three, 
then  four,  and  finally  five  toes.  During 
this  time  the  gills  have  increased  in  the 
number  of  branches,  and  finally  exhibit 
a  beautiful  arborescent  appearance,  in 
which  the  circulation  of  the  blr)od  can 
be  distinctly  seen  by  means  of  a  simple 
lens." 

Turtles  are  later  in  their  time  of  breed- 
ing, but  the  fresh-water  turtles  are  mating. 


76  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

April  22  The  land  snails  revive  with  the  warmth 

of  the  spring  sun,  and  become  notice- 
able this  montli  in  accordance  with  the 
weather.  During  these  early  days  they 
sometimes  assemble  in  considerable  num- 
bers in  warm  and  sunny  situations,  where 
they  pass  hours  in  indolent  enjoyment  of 
the  warmth  and  animating  influence  of 
the  sunshine.  "  Whether  these  meetings 
serve  any  useful  purpose  in  the  economy 
of  the  animal,  or  are  caused  by  the  pleas- 
urable sensation,"  Mr.  W.  G.  Binney,  the 
principal  authority  on  this  subject,  "  is 
uncertain ;  it  is  probable,  however,  that 
they  precede  the  business  of  procreation. 
It  is  certain  that  they  last  but  a  short 
time,  and  that,  after  early  spring,  the  ani- 
mals are  to  be  found  in  their  usual  re- 
treats." 

"  April,"  writes  the  author  of  Signs  mid 
Seasons,  "is  the  time  to  go  budding.  A 
swelling  bud  is  food  for  the  fancy,  and 
often  food  for  the  eye.  Some  buds  begin 
to  glow  as  they  begin  to  swell.  The  bud 
scales  change  color  and  become  a  deli- 
cate rose-pink.  I  note  this  especially  in 
the  European  maple.  The  bud  scales 
flush  as  if  the  effort  to  '  keep  in  "brought 
the  blood  into  their  faces.  The  scales  of 
the  willow  do  not  flush,  but  shine  like 
ebony,  and  each  one  presses  like  a  hand 
on  the  catkin  that  will  escape  from  be- 
neath it." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  77 

April  23 


CALENDAR  FOR  APRIL 

MAMMALS 

Meadow-mice.  —  Producing  young  of  first 
brood  in  nests  on  the  ground. 

White- footed  Afoicse. — Young  born  in  busli 
nests  often  constructed  in  an  old  bird's  nest. 

Red-  backed  Wood  -  mouse. — First  litter  of 
young  in  a  nest  in  the  ground  or  under  a  log. 

Squirrels  of  all  sorts. — Beginning  to  produce 
young,  commonly  in  leafy  nests  among  tree 
branches. 

Deer. — Bucks  separating  from  the  band. 

Wild-cats  {lyux). — Producing  young  in  giound- 
dens. 

Gray  Fox. — Three  to  five  young  born. 

Martens,  Minks,  and  Weasels.  —  Producing 
young  irregularly. 

Skunks. — Producing  young  in  burrows. 

Otters. — Producing  young  in  holes  in  stream 
banks,  or  sometimes  in  hollow  stumps,  etc. 

Fur-bearing  mammals  shedding  winter  coats. 

BIRDS 

Sheldrakes. — Pass  northward. 

Wa Hards. — Pass  northward. 

Teals. — Pass  northward. 

Pintail  Ducks. — Pass  North  first  week. 

Redhead  Ducks. — Pass  North  first  fortnight. 

Broad- bill,  or  Scamp  Ducks. — Pass  North  first 
fortnight.  * 

Golden-eye,  or  Whistler  Ducks. — Arrive  and 
pass  northward. 

Buffle-heads. — Arrive  and  pass  northward. 


78  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

April  24 


Old  Sqiiazu  Ducks. — Depart  northward. 

Bitterns. — Arrive  from  South  second  week. 

G7rat  Blue  Herons. — Pass  North  second  and 
third  weeks. 

Little    Green    Herons. — Arrive    from    South 
third  week. 

Night  Herons. — Arrive  from   South  second 
week. 

Clapper  Rails. — Arrive  from  South, 

Virginia  Kails. — Arrive  from  South. 

Coots  and  Bay-birds. — Pass  northward. 

Eagles. — Nesting   irregularly,  on   cliffs   and 
trees. 

Dnck-haii<k. — Nests  first  week,  on  cliffs. 

Broad-toing. — Nests  third  week;  trees. 

Pigeon  Hawks. — Pass  northward. 

Long-eared  O20I. — Nests  second^  week  ;  holes. 

Sa-iV-ivhet  Owl. — Nests  first  week ;  tree  holes. 

Screech  Oxvl. — Nests  first  week  ;    tree  hole<. 

Kingfishers. — Arrive  from  South  first  week. 

Sapstickers. — Pass  northward. 

Whippoorwills. — Arrive    from    South    tliird 
vireek. 

Chimney-sivifts.  —  Arrive    from  South  third 
week. 

Humming-birds.  —  Arrive  from  South  fourtli 
week. 

Kingbirds. — Arrive  from  South  fourtli  week. 

Chebec. — Arrives  from  South  fourth  week. 

Croiv. — Nests  second  week  ;  tall  trees. 

Rusty  Blackbirds. — Pass  northward. 

Purple  Grakle. — Nests  fourth  week. 
Vesper  Sparrows. — Arrive  first  week. 

Savanna  Sparro7vs. — Arrive  first- week. 
Yellozo-winged,  or   Grasshopper  SpaiTows  — 
Arrive  second  week. 

Sea-side  Sparrows. — Arrive  second  week. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  7,^ 


Tree  Sparrows. — Depart  North  tliird  \A-eek. 
Chipping  Sparrows. — Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

Field  Sparro7i's. — Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

Sno'cu-bircis  (Junco). — Depart  North  fourth 
week. 

Swamp  Sparrotus. — Arrive  first  week. 

Fox  Sparrows. — Depart  North  second  week. 

C/iewiyiks,  or  Totvhees. — Arrive  third  week. 

Purple  ]\Iartins. — Arrive  from  South  second 
week. 

Eave , or  Cliff  Swallows . — Arrive  fourth  week. 

Barn  Swallo'ws. — Arrive  from  South  third 
week. 

Tree  S^vallows. — Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

Bank  Swallo-ws. — Arrive  from  South  second 
week. 

Rough  -  winged  S7uallo7vs.  —  Arrive  from 
South  second  week. 

Northern  Shrikes. — Depart  North  second 
week. 

l\ed-eyed  Vireos. — Arrive  from  South  fourth 
week. 

Yellow-throated  Vireos. — Arrive  first  week. 

Blue-headed  Vireos. — Pass  North  fourth  week. 

White-eyed  Vireos. — Arrive  fourth  week. 

Black  -and -White  W^arblejs. — Arrive  from 
South  fourth  week. 

Black-throated  Blue  and  Yelloiv-runiped,  or 
Myrtle   Warblers.-— F&ss,  North  fourth  week. 

Jlfagnolia,  Blackburnian,  and  Black-throated 
Greeji  Wai'blers. — Pass  North  second  and  third 
weeks. 

Yellozu  Redpoll,  or  Palm  Warblers.  —  Pass 
North  fourth  week. 


April  25 


So  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


April  26 


Oven  -  birds.  —  Arrive  from  South  third 
week. 

Maryland  Yelknv  -  tJn-oats.  —  Arrive  from 
South  third  week. 

Yellow-breasted  Chats. — Arrive  fourtli  week. 

Cat- birds. — Arriv^e  from   South   third  week. 

Broiun  Tlirashers. — Arrive  second  week. 

House  Wrens.  —  Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

IVint.r  IVj'ens. — Depart  North  third  week. 

Chickadee. — Nests  third  week;    tree  holes. 

Wood  Thrushes. — Arrive  from  South  fourth 
week. 

Veeiy,  or  Wilson  s  Thrushes. — Arrive  from 
South  fourth  week. 

Hermit  Thrushes. — Pass  northward  all  the 
niontli. 

Robin. — Nests  third  week  ;  orchard  trees. 

Bluebird. — Nests  second  week;  tree  holes, 
bird  boxes,  and  cavities  about  buildings. 

FISHES 

Sea  Lampreys. — Ascending  rivers  to  spawn. 

C^//.f//.— Caught  plentifully. 

Mud  Minnow. — Spawns  in  brooks. 

Herring. — Approaching  the  coast. 

Alewife. — Arrives  early  in  the  month. 

Shad.  —  Arrives  and  fishing  begins  first 
week. 

■Salmon. — Enter  the  Hudson  and  nojthern 
rivers  on  their  way  to  spawning-beds. 

Tautog. — Coming  inshore. 

Trout. — Fishing  begins. 

Striped  Bass. — Taken  with  the  slind. 

Lobsters. — Begin  spawning. 

Mussels  and  various  other  mollusks  and  an- 
nelids spawning. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  8r 


B  ATRAC  HI  ANS  AND  REPTILES  April  27 

Spotted  Salaina tidcr. —l^^y'mg  eggs  in  still 
water  in  masses. 

Marbled  Salama}ider.—l£.gg^\^\(^  first  week. 

Toads. — Pairing  and  moving  towards  ponds. 

Frogs. — Noisy  ;  tadpoles  hatching. 

Peepers  (Hyla  pickeringii).  —  Laying  eggs 
first  week. 

Wood -frog. — Common  about  sphagnum 
swamps. 

Snakes.  —  Become  active  towards  end  of 
month. 

l\irtles. — Become  active  and  seek  mates. 

Box  l^ortoise.—\.2Xt'i\.  to  appear,  fourth  week. 

INSECTS 

Hornets  and  Yellow-Jackets. — Queens  start- 
ing new  nests   in   trees   or  under  rafters  and  ^ 
stones. 

Brown  Wasps,— Qlwt&ws  flying  about ;  start- 
ing new  nests  under  shelter  of  various  sorts. 

Bumble  bees. — Queens  visiting  willows  and 
other  early  blossoms  to  get  nectar  and  pollen  ; 
flying  close  to  ground  looking  for  nesting  sites  ; 
starting  nests  in  old  mouse-nests  or  under  shel- 
ter on  ground. 

Mud-  wasps  and  Digger  Wasps.  —  Larvoe 
changing  to  pupae  and  latter  to  adult-  in  their 
mud-cells  or  earthen  burrows. 

Ants.^\^o\kevs  repairing  colonies  and  re- 
suming activity  for  the  season. 

Ichneiiinon-Jlies  and  other  Parasites. — Come 
from  shelter  or  change  to  perfect  state  and  visit 
early  flowers  for  food  ;  also  search  for  caterpil- 
lars and  other  insects  in  which  to  deposit  eggs. 

Currant    Worms. — Ad-ilts   mature    and    lay 


82  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Aoril  28  ^SS^  ^'^  rows  on   the   principal  veins  of  under 
surface  of  leaves  of  currant  and  gooseberry. 

Ground  Beetles.  —  Adults  become  active, 
though  still  found  much  of  the  time  under 
stones,  logs,  boards,  or  similar  shelter. 

Leaf  Beetles. — Many  species  come  from  hiber- 
nation and  begin  to  feed  on  leaves  of  various 
plants. 

Bitprtstid  Beetles. — Larvie  resume  activity  in 
boring  in  trees  and  logs. 

Ladybird  Beetles. — Adults  come  from  places 
of  hibernation  and  wander  about  in  search  of 
food. 

May  Beetles  or  "'June  Bugs."' — Larvae  (white 
grubs)  begin  feeding  again  on  roots ;  beetles 
still  in  pupal  cavities;  to  be  found  in  ploughed 
ground. 

Click  Beetles. — Larvae  (wire-worms)  in  soil, 
feeding  on  plant  roots;  adults  in  pupal  cavities 
in  the  soil  or  emerging  therefrom. 

Longicorn  Beetles. — The  cylindrical  larvae  re- 
sume burrowing  operations  in  trees  and  logs. 

Bie  Flies. — Appear  on  wing,  visiting  blossoms 
of  willow,  arbutus,  and  other  early  flowers. 

House  Flies. — Adults  come  from  winter  shel- 
ter and  begin  egg  laying  in  refuse-heaps  and 
manure-piles. 

Crane  Flies. — Larvae  (leather-jackets)  still  in 
soil  of  grass-lands  or  changing  to  pupae. 

Gall  Flies. — The  larvae  of  many  species  of 
gall-makers  in  galls  on  willow  and  other  plants 
change  to  pupae. 

Mourning  Cloak  Butterfly  and  other  relatea 
species. — Adults  come  forth  from  wood-piles, 
brush-piles,  hollow  trees,  or  other  shelter,  and 
fly  about,  visiting  willow  and  other  blossoms, 
and  perhaps  laying  eggs. 


Asteiias  Bntterjly. — Develops  from  chrysa- 
lis and  appears  on  the  wing. 

Cabbage  Biitterjiies. — Emerge  from  chrysalids 
and  fly  over  meadows  and  gardens. 

Viceroy,  or  Disippiis  Bntterjly.  —  Larva; 
emerge  from  winter  cases  and  feed  on  leaves 
of  poplar  and  willow. 

Sphinx  Moths. — A  few  early  moths  may  ap- 
pear, but  most  remain  in  soil  as  pupee. 

Cecropia  and  Promethea  Moths. — Still  in  co- 
coons. 

Polyphemus  and  Luna  Moths. — Remain  in 
cocoons. 

Tiger  Moths. — Larvae  of  some  species  spin 
cocoons  and  change  to  pupae.  The  common- 
est caterpillar  that  does  this  is  that  of  the  Isa- 
bella tiger  moth. 

White-marked  Ttissock  Moth. — Still  in  egg- 
masses  on  elm  and  other  trees. 

Ciit'vorm  Moths. — Larvae  (cutworms)  begin 
feeding  on  grasses  and  vegetables  at  night  •, 
seek  shelter  of  soil  or  boards  during  day. 

Noctuid  Moths.  —  Many  species  flying  at 
night,  visiting  willows  and  attracted  to  lights. 

Fall  Cankei-ivorm. — Eggs  hatch  into  larvae 
that  feed  on  opening  leaves  of  apple  and  elm. 

Biidworms. — Larvae  begin  feeding  on  open- 
ing buds  of  apple. 

Leaf -miners. — Larvae  of  many  species  change 
to  pupae. 

Caddis-flies. — Larvae  in  cases  become  active, 
feeding  in  the  water  of  ponds  and  streams. 

Squash-bugs  and  similar  species. — Adults 
come  from  shelter  and  begin  seeking  food. 

Water-hugs. — Resume  activity  in  ponds  and. 
streams. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  83 

April  29 


84 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


April  "^o  Tree-hoppers. — Eggs  still   on   twigs   of  trees 
and  shrubs. 

Leaf -hoppers. — Adults  resume  activity,  suck- 
ing sap  of  leaves  and  grasses 

Scale  Insects. — Eggs  beneath  scales  yet  un- 
hatched. 

Plajit-lice,  or  Aphides. — Eggs  hatch  into  tiny 
aphides  that  suck  sap  from  the  unfolding 
leaves.  Those  hatching  in  ants'  nests  are  car- 
ried to  food. 

Red-legged  Locust,  or  Grasshopper,  and  its 
a///>j.— Eggs  still  in  ground. 

Coral-7vinged  Locust. — Well-grown  nymphs 
active. 

Grouse-locusts. — Adults  become  active,  per- 
haps lay  eggs. 

■  Tree    Crickets. — Eggs    still    ia    canes    and 
twigs. 

Black  Crickets.  —  Mostly  still  in  eggs  in  the 
.soil. 

Walking-sticks.  —  Still  in  eggs  on  ground 
scattered  beneath  trees. 

White  Ants. — The  colonies  in  the  ground  or 
in  stumps  and  logs  become  active  again. 

Stone -flies.  —  Larvaj  still  under  stones  in 
water. 

Dragon-flies. — Immature  forms  in  ponds 
and  streams  become  active  again. 

May-flies. — Nymphs  resume  activity ;  a 
few  may  change  to  adults. 

Springtails  and  BHstletails — Many  on  rub- 
bish and  under  boards,  logs,  and  stones,  as 
well  as  over  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  on 
bark. 


MAY 

"Morn  wakes  in  mist,  and  the  twilight  gray 
Weeps  its  bright  dew,  and  smiling  May 
Melts  into  blooming  June." 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  87 


MAY 

As  April  was  the  month  of  migrating  j^ay  i 

fishes,  so  May  is  to  be  regarded  as  the 
month  of  migrating  birds  throughout  the 
middle  parts  of  the  United  States.  In 
the  case  of  the  fishes  the  coming  seemed 
regulated  chiefly  by  the  matter  of  tem- 
perature— none  arrived  anywhere  until 
the  water  had  reached  the  right  degree  of 
warmth.  The  coming  of  the  birds,  how- 
ever, seems  to  depend  mainly  upon  the 
matter  of  food.  The  great  body  of  bird 
migrants  from  the  South  must  not  reach 
the  northern  districts  until  nourishment 
has  been  prepared  for  them.  As,  how- 
ever, the  insect  food,  upon  which  most 
land  birds  depend,  at  this  season  in  par- 
ticular, cannot  itself  develop  plentifully 
until  vegetation  has  advanced  to  a  certain 
stage,  and  as  this  is  dependent  largely 
upon  warmth,  we  may  say  that  tempera- 
ture finally  rules  here  also. 

May  is  a  month  of  uncertainties  in  the 
Northern  States— the  English  April  ;  but 
under  its  warmer  suns  the  buds  and 
leaves  struggle  steadily  against  adversi- 
ties and  crowd  forward.  The  grasses  and 
weeds  have  already  made  good  headway ; 
and  the  fruit-trees,  most  shrubs,  the  ma- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


j^ay  2  pies,  and  the  majority  of  forest  trees  have 

come  into  full  leaf  by  the  end  of  the 
month,  even  as  far  north  as  the  Great 
Lakes,  while  the  roadsides,  gardens,  or- 
chards, and  meadow  lands  seem  finished 
for  the  summer.  To  the  Delaware  Ind- 
ians it  was  the  "  moon  of  the  beginning 
of  summer." 

No  season  is  more  enticing  to  the  ram- 
bler and  the  rural  fisherman.  The  air  is 
soft  and  dry,  the  whole  earth  is  freshly 
green  and  full  of  pleasant  odors.  Life  is 
stirring  and  multiplying  on  every  side, 
and  all  nature  speaks  of  the  promise  of 
summer  and  fruition,  and  invites  us  with 
such  urgency  to  come  and  witness  her 
joy,  that  confinement  in  the  house  is 
never  more  irksome  than  now,  and  atten- 
tion to  work  and  duty  is  an  effort  of  will. 


"  Then  weary  is  the  street  parade, 
And  weary  books,   and  weary  trade  ; 
I'm  only  wishing  to  go  a- fishing — 
For  that  the  month  of    May  was  made." 

First  of  the  season's  interests  to  the 
rambling  naturalist  is  the  northward  mi- 
gration of  the  birds,  now  at  its  height. 
This  movement  began,  as  we  have  seen, 
even  in  March,  and  has  grown  slowly  un- 
til now.  During  April  the  last  of  the 
winter  visitors  departed  for  their  northern 
homes,  leaving  the  all -the -year- round 
residents  to  begin  theirsummer  work  and 
joys;    they  are  quickly  followed    by  the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


advance  guard  of  those  who,  in  the  au- 
tumn, had  retreated  only  a  little  way- 
south,  and  now  take  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity to  edge  back. 

Thus  April  brings,  north  of  Maryland 
in  the  East  and  the  Ohio  River  in  the 
West,  a  good  many  of  the  hardier  and 
more  familiar  of  our  summer  birds,  some 
of  which  may  get  well  settled,  and  even 
at  breeding,  before  May-day.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Cincinnati,  then,  or 
about  Philadelphia,  one  may  see  by  the 
middle  of  April  the  commoner  thrushes 
and  wrens,  the  bluebird,  the  yellow  war- 
bler, and  oven  bird  ;  all  the  swallows  and 
swifts  ;  the  savanna,  field,  chipping,  song, 
swamp,  and  some  more  obscure  sparrows 
and  finches;  half  a  dozen  kinds  of  black- 
birds, crows,  and  jays;  the  phoebe-bird 
and  perhaps  a  kingbird  or  two ;  two  or 
three  woodpeckers,  most  of  the  hawks 
and  owls,  and  the  wild  pigeon,  among 
land-birds;  while  of  the  water-birds  the 
commoner  snipes  and  plovers  and  the 
various  marsh  hens  are  early  comers  ;  and 
already  many  ducks  have  passed  on  to 
their  far  northern  breeding-grounds. 

But  when  April's  chills  hav^e  gone 
woods,  roadsides,  and  gardens  suddenly 
fill  with  songsters,  and  May  becomes  a 
"merry  month"  indeed.  The  bobolink 
rollicks  in  every  meadow,  chaffing  the 
crazy-headed  chat  above  the  thickets 
along  its  margin ;  swallows  gleam  and 
curvet  in  the  air,  the  vireo  exhorts  us 


go  NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


j>-  from    every   grove ;     the   thrush,    oriole, 

^—  finch,  and  cuckoo  mingle  their  strains  in 

the  richest  chorus  of  the  year,  and  the 
tree-tops  sparkle  with  the  flitting  forms 
and  tinkle  with  the  bright  singing  of 
countless  gayly  dressed  warblers.  We 
may  see  anywhere  more  birds  in  May 
than  at  any  other  time  of  the  year,  be- 
cause now  we  make  a  passing  acquaint- 
ance with  many  that  do  not  remain  with 
us,  but  only  flit  through  on  their  way 
from  tropical  winter-quarters  to  summer 
residences  far  to  the  north. 

The  migration  of  birds  has  been  noticed 
ever  since  men  began  to  make  note  of 
anything  in  the  world  about  them,  yet 
many  mysterious  questions  in  regard  to 
the  influences  that  produce  it  remain  un- 
answered. But,  though  we  cannot  ex- 
plain the  why,  we  have  learned  much  a^ 
to  the  how  of  this  movement,  which  is  so 
peculiar  to  and  characteristic  of  birds  as 
a  class.  We  know  that  as  winter  ap- 
proaches from  the  poles  it  drives  south- 
ward before  it— or  northward,  in  the 
southern  hemisphere— the  birds  which 
inhabit  the  polar  regions  in  summer. 
Some  who  are  hardy  and  able  to  pick  up 
a  living  in  a  cold  and  snowy  region  from 
seeds  and  dormant  insects  go  only  a  little 
way  southward,  and  become  the  winter 
visitors  to  the  temperate  zones,  where 
others  reside  comfortably  the'whole  year 
round.  Many  birds,  however,  are  not 
content  even  with   the  open   fields  and 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  gj 


comparatively  mild  weather  of  our  South-  j^^    - 

ern  States,  but  press  on,  picking  up  more  

and  more  recruits,  until  they  find  them- 
selves well  within  the  tropics.  Of  the 
peculiarities  of  this  southward  movement 
in  autumn  I  shall  have  more  to  say  when 
I  reach  that  part  of  the  calendar ;  let  us 
now  consider  what  happens  in  spring. 

As  the  end  of  the  dry  season  approaches 
in  the  tropics,  the  birds  that  have  been 
wintering  there  grow  restless  and  gather 
into  companies,  some  to  go  to  New  Zea- 
land or  South  Africa  or  the  Argentine 
Republic,  but  far  more  (and,  of  course, 
different  ones)  to  Northern  America,  Eu- 
rope, and  Asia,  because  there  is  more 
land  in  that  direction.  Just  then  the 
tropical  residents  are  preparing  to  nestle 
(migrants  never  breed  there,  with  a  very 
few  exceptions),  the  rainy  season  is  bring- 
ing out  flowers,  fruit,  and  insects,  so  that 
bird  food  is  growing  abundant,  yet  away 
go  these  restless  wanderers  on  their  long 
journey  poleward,  moved  by  reasons  we 
cannot  yet  perceive. 

Some  always  start  much  earlier  than 
others— perhaps  a  month --each  species 
or  group  keeping  to  its  habit  in  this  re- 
spect. They  form  little  companies,  usu- 
ally from  two  or  three  similar  species, 
and  these  grow  and  gather  others  as  they 
proceed.  They  follow  particular  routes. 
Our  own  birds,  for  example,  enter  the 
United  States  by  three  main  roads.  One 
set  follows  the   Pacific  coast ;   another. 


92  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

May  6  'ind  the  greatest,  comes  up  the  Caribbean 

■       ~~  and  Gulf  coast,  avoiding  the  Mexican  in- 

terior ;  and  a  third  follows  the  line  of  the 
Antilles  and  Bahamas  to  Florida  and  the 
Carolinas.  They  travel  slowly  at  first, 
and  straggle  into  our  southern  border  by 
twos  and  threes ;  but  soon  the  foremost 
are  overtaken  by  others,  anxiety  to  get 
on  urges  their  wings,  and  they  hasten 
more  and  more,  taking  longer  flights  and 
less  rest,  ever  gathering  numbers.  They 
infect  the  more  northerly  sojourners  with 
their  unrest,  and  start  them,  also,  north- 
ward, until  at  last,  in  May,  a  great  throng 
of  hurrying  little  travellers  races  through 
our  northern  woods.  Many  stop  here 
while  others  push  on  into  Canada,  or 
even  to  Alaska  and  the  Arctic  plains  and 
coasts. 

More  and  more  as  they  proceed  they 
fail  into  certain  established  routes.  Thus 
the  States  of  the  eastern  coast  and  New 
England  get  all  their  birds  by  way  of  the 
sea-coast,  for  these  divide  from  the  great 
body  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Allegha- 
nies.  The  interior  of  the  country  is  sup- 
plied by  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
by  following  up  its  several  tributaries. 
Southern  Ohio,  for  an  instance,  is  almost 
wholly  supplied  by  way  of  the  Ohio 
River,  not  across  the  mountains.  The 
•  reasons   for  this  are  mainly  two  :  First, 

the  rivers  form  an  excellent  guide; 
second,  these  water-ways  abound  in  food 
to  a  much  greater  extent   than  do  the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  93 


mountains,     cold      and     forest  -  clothed.  Ma^y  ^ 

Whatever  that   vague   thing  "instinct"  " 

may  have  to  do  with  starting  birds  upon 
their  migration,  it  has  no  part  in  leading 
them.  They  guide  themselves,  as  we 
would  do,  by  landmarks  and  memory; 
and  by  following  the  older  ones.  This 
leads  me  to  note  that  in  all  cases  the 
older  male  birds  go  ahead,  and  the 
females  and  young  follow,  sometimes  a 
week  later,  towards  the  end  of  the  jour- 
ney. 

They  travel  mainly  by  night,  summon- 
ing one  another  to  assemble  as  dusk  ap- 
proaches, then  rising  together  high  in  the 
air — sometimes,  it  is  believed,  a  mile  high 
in  clear  nights— then  heading  away  on 
their  course  like  a  ship  leaving  port;  and 
with  the  earliest  dawn,  sinking  down  to 
the  earth  to  rest.  All  day  long  they  flit 
about  through  the  trees  and  bushes  in 
leisurely  content,  progressing  gradually 
on  their  way  if  the  weather  be  good,  sing- 
ing, taking  naps,  and  feeding,  until  the 
evening  bids  them  renew  their  journey. 

If  the  weather  were  always  favorable 
the  birds  would  thus  come  to  us,  or 
march  past  us,  in  regular  platoons  like 
soldiers,  and  we  might  know  the  precise 
day  (as  even  now  we  may  nearly)  upon 
which  they  would  return;  but  "cold 
snaps"  and  rain  and  head  winds  check 
and  confuse  them.  Then  they  seek  such 
shelter  as  they  can  find,  and  wait  until 
warmth  and  sunshine  come  again  upon 


94  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


j^ay  8  t-he  wings  of  the  south   wind.      Hence, 

after  a  period  of  bad  weather  (and  the 
second  week  of  May  is  almost  always 
stormy),  observers  note  that  the  trees, 
almost  silent  for  days  before,  are  filled 
with  birds,  many  not  previously  seen,  and 
they  say  that  a  "migration  wave"  is 
at  hand.  Thus  in  wave  after  wave,  has- 
tening forward  through  the  moonlight  or 
the  starlight  nights,  struggling  along  in 
the  warm,  rainy  dark,  loitering  by  day 
and  pausing  whenev^er  storms  block  the 
way,  they  press  forward — each  to  its  well- 
remembered  home.  Few  are  mated 
when  they  arrive,  but  this  is  speedily 
attended  to  when  the  place  of  their 
choice  is  reached  and  the  slower  hen 
birds  have  overtaken  them  ;  so  that  by 
the  end  of  May  the  majority  of  our  resi- 
dent birds  of  the  United  States  have 
built  their  homes  and  are  laying  their 
eggs,  and  morning  and  evening  the  air  is 
filled  with  their  songs. 

To  the  long  list  of  small  white  April 
flowers  are  now  to  be  added  larger, 
gaudier  blossoms  with  more  coloring, 
while  the  chestnuts  stand  boldly  out 
from  their  background  of  hill-side  woods 
in  a  garb  of  yellow  blossoms.  Yellow, 
indeed,  is  a  color  highly  characteristic  of 
the  blossoms  of  May.  Dandelions  still 
bejeu^el  the  lawns ;  out  of  the  lush 
meadows  rise  great  globular  tufts  of 
golden  mustard,  and  lower  doum  creeps 
the   modest   five-finger  and   the   yellow 


NATURE  S   CALENDAR  gg 


violet,  hastening  to  complete  the  duty  of  May  9 

blossoming  before  the  weeds  shall  smoth- 
er  them.  Wild  indigo,  the  polished  but- 
tercups, the  marsh  marigold,  beloved  of 
the  gold  flies,  and  many  another,  reward 
the  seeker  after  this  rich  hue,  yet  by  no 
means  exhaust  the  catalogue  that  re- 
wards him  who  goes  a-Maying  with  a 
•'  botany-box  "  slung  over  his  shoulder 
and  a  trowel  in  his  belt. 

In  May  the  bluefish  first  appear  and 
ascend  salt-water  bays,  young  ones  some- 
times going  up  the  Hudson  as  far  as 
West  Point  — but  this  is  later  in  the 
season.  Spring  mackerel  and  sea-bass 
begin  to  be  sold  in  the  New  York  mark- 
ets  also  by  the  middle  of  the  month. 
The  kingfish  arrives,  and  sheepshead  and 
mackerel  become  abundant  ofT  New  York 
with  great  suddenness,  seeming  to  have 
come  in  droves  from  the  South,  and  to 
be  feeding  principally  on  small  marine 
crustaceans.  In  a  similar  way  scup,  or 
porgies,  are  seen  in  large  schools,  which 
increase  towards  the  end  of  the  month, 
and  resort  to  the  eel-grass  to  spawn. 
Menhaden  arrive,  the  shad-fishing  con- 
tinues through  the  month,  and  ale-wives 
become  abundant. 

Young  perch  are  already  abroad  in  the 
South,  but  in  the  Delaware  River  and 
northward  they  are  just  spawning,  as  also 
are  the  white  perch,  and  in  the  West  the 
pike -perch.  This  is  the  month,  too, 
when    the   great,    ferocious    raascalonge 


96  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

May  10  voids    its  eggs.     Says    Henshall :    "The 

mascalonge,  like  others  of  the  pike  fam- 
ily, breeds  in  the  spring,  later,  however, 
than  the  pike  or  pickerel.  All  of  the 
pike  species  resort  to  overflowed  marshes 
and  shallow,  grassy  streams — the  pick- 
erel during  March  and  the  mascalonge  in 
May.  The  pickerel  thus  has  a  start  of 
about  two  months,  and  no  doubt  the 
young  pickerel  devour  most  of  the  mas- 
calonge that  hatch,  for  the  spawm  in 
May,  in  such  shallow  water,  is  exposed 
to  the  ravages  of  turtles,  frogs,  ducks,  and 
coots,  and  most  of  it  is  doubtless  de- 
stroyed. This  seems  to  be  a  wise  pro- 
vision of  nature,  for,  as  the  mascalonge 
spawns  from  100,000  to  300,000  eggs,  ac- 
cording to  size,  the  result  can  be  imag- 
ined. It  is,  indeed,  fortunate  for  the  rest 
of  the  finny  tribe  that  the  mascalonge  is 
comparatively  a  rare  fish." 

Black  bass  build  their  nests  now  pre- 
paratory to  spawning.  These  are  saucer- 
like spaces  of  gravel,  in  shallow  water, 
constantly  swept  by  their  fins,  in  order 
that  their  eggs,  which  are  heavy  and  sink 
to  the  bottom,  may  rest  upon  a  clean  ^sur- 
face. "  It  is  interesting,"  writes  Charles 
Hallock,  "to  note  the  pertinacity  with 
which  they  guard  their  precious  charges, 
and  the  vigor  with  which  they  drive 
away  depredators  and  intruders  of  all 
kinds.  They  will  frequently  allow  a 
boat  to  pass  over  them,  scarcely  six 
inches  above  their  backs,  and  obstinately 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  ^^ 


keep  their    ground.       Sunfish    and  such  j^ay  ii 

are    compelled    to   keep    their    distance.  ~ 

There  are  hundreds  of  these  bowl-shaped 
excavations,  eighteen  inches  or  so  in  di- 
ameter, all  along  the  sandy  shallows  of 
the  lake." 

The  striped  bass  are  already  spawning. 

As  to  batrachians  and  reptiles,  larvae 
may  be  obtained  of  the  spotted  and  of 
the  marbled  species  of  Amblystoina,  and 
the  adults  of  several  others,  most  of  the 
year  terrestrial,  are  now  inhabiting  still 
waters,  though  the  gray  salamander  must 
be  looked  for  under  stones  in  the  woods, 
where  it  will  be  found  in  mated  pairs.  In 
warm  waters  the  eggs  of  the  green  newt 
are  hatching  some  thirty  days  after  being 
laid,  or  longer  in  cool  weather. 

Toads  go  into  the  water  in  pairs  by  the 
first  of  this  month,  or  a  little  earlier,  and 
deposit  their  spawn.  "To  find  the  eggs," 
says  Gage,  "  one  should  visit  the  natural 
or  artificial  ponds  so  commom  along 
streams.  .  .  .  The  time  for  finding  the 
eggs  [in  New  York  State]  depends  on  the 
season.  The  toad  observes  the  season, 
not  the  almanac.  In  ordinary  years  the 
best  time  is  from  the  middle  of  April  to 
the  ist  of  May.  One  is  often  guided  to 
the  right  place  by  noticing  the  direc- 
tion from  which  the  song  or  call  of  the 
toad  comes.  It  may  be  said  in  passing 
that  toad  choirs  are  composed  wholly  of 
male  voices.  The  call  is  more  or  less 
like   that  of  tree-toads.      In   general   it 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


May  12  sounds  like  whistling,  and  at  the  same 

■  time    pronouncing    deep    in    the   throat 

bu-rr-r-r-r-.  .  .  .  The  eggs  are  laid  in  long 
strings,  or  ropes,  which  are  nearly  always 
tangled  and  wound  round  the  water- 
plants,  or  sticks  on  the  bottom  of  the 
pond  near  the  shore.  If  the  eggs  have 
been  freshly  laid,  or  if  the  water  is  clear, 
the  egg-ropes  will  look  like  glass  tubes 
containing  a  string  of  jet-black  beads.  .  .  . 
It  takes  only  a  short  time  for  the  eggs  to 
hatch.  In  warm  weather  two  or  three 
days  are  usually  sufficient." 

Much  the  same  remarks  apply  to  the 
time  and  place  of  the  breeding  of  the 
tree-frog  {Hyla  versicolor),  which  occurs 
in  similar  circumstances.  Its  eggs,  how- 
ever, are  laid  singly  or  in  small  clusters, 
attached  to  blades  of  grass  or  other  sup- 
ports in  shallow  water  near  shore.  They 
hatch  in  about  forty-eight  hours,  but  their 
subsequent  development  is  slow,  it  being 
some  three  weeks  before  the  hind  legs 
are  well  developed,  and  another  three 
weeks  before  the  fore-legs  are  free  and 
completely  formed. 

The  rare  and  curious  spade-foot  toad 
may  also  sometimes  be  found  this  month. 
It  is  a  species  well  distributed,  but  local 
and  rarely  seen,  as  it  burrows  deeply,  and 
sometimes  intervals  of  several  years 
elapse  when  it  will  not  appear  nor  be 
heard  in  a  locality.  "  The  eggs  are  laid 
at  any  time  from  April  to  June  in  bunches 
from  one   to  three   inches  in  diameter, 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  99 

and  are  placed  around  a  spike  of  grass.  May  13 

They  hatch  in  about  a  week,  the  meta- 

morphosis  being  complete  in  about  two 

or  three  weeks.     The  young  immediately 

assume    the     terrestrial    habits    of    the 

adults."      The    fullest    account    of    this 

strange  and  vociferous  little  batrachian 

will  be  found  in  the  writings  of  Dr.  C.  C. 

Abbott. 

These  are  the  latest  of  the  batrachians 
to  breed,  and  May  sees  much  further  ad- 
vanced the  tadpoles  and  young  of  the 
other  species.  The  wood-frog,  in  particu- 
lar, has  now  become  silent  and  returned  to 
his  habitual  home,  and  Pickering's  tree- 
frog  ceases  peeping  long  before  the  "  tree- 
toad  "  slackens  its  clucking. 

The  snakes  are  now  wide  awake  and 
racing  about  in  search  of  food,  which 
leads  them  to  frequent  hay-fields,  the 
abode  of  mice,  and  the  vicinity  of  water, 
where  frogs  are  congregated.  Young 
frogs  and  toads  offer  an  increasing  and 
easily  caught  prey.  This  consequently  is 
a  month  when  it  is  well  to  be  on  the 
lookout  for  the  copperhead,  which  is  now 
passing  to  such  feeding-grounds  from 
his  winter-quarters  in  some  rocky  hill- 
side, and  hence  is  likely  to  be  met  with 
in  roads,  paths,  and  door-yards,  wherever 
this  baneful  creature  is  at  all  prevalent, 
as  unfortunately  he  is  along  the  Hudson 
Valley.  The  same  warning  may  be  given 
as  to  the  rattlesnake  in  Connecticut  and 
in  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


j^g^y  j^  Few  snakes  are  born  so  early  in  the 

season,  but  one  of  these  exceptions  is  the 

common  hognose,  or  spreadhead,  which 
lays  about  twenty-five  eggs  in  the  sandy 
soil.  According  to  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott, 
these  may  sometimes  be  found  (in  cen- 
tral New  Jersey)  in  May.  This  month 
seems  to  be  the  regular  breeding-season 
in  southern  New  Jersey  of  the  pine,  or 
bull  snake,  a  circumstantial  account  of 
which  appeared  in  the  American  Natii- 
7'aUst  for  1893,  p.  878.  In  this  case  the 
snake  wormed  its  way  head-first  into  the 
dry  soil  of  a  cultivated  field,  until  it  had 
concealed  its  whole  body  in  a  sort  of  tun- 
nel some  six  inches  beneath  the  surface. 
Early  in  August  these  eggs  were  ex- 
humed, and  found  to  be  a  cluster  of  ten. 
well  glued  together,  some  elongated  and 
some  nearly  globular,  averaging  about 
two  inches  and  a  quarter  long,  and  hav- 
ing a  parchment-like  skin  thinly  encrust- 
ed with  lime.  The  embryos  then  seemed 
nearlv  ready  to  hatch.  Dr.  Samuel  Lock- 
wood  {Am.  Nat.,  ix.,  3)  had  an  adult  cap- 
tive which  laid  its  eggs  (in  northern  New 
Jersey)  on  July  18,  so  that,  like  others, 
this  species  is  probably  variable  in  its 
breeding-time. 

A  turtle  whose  eggs  are  laid  at  this 
season  is  the  soft-shelled  one,  whose  fe- 
males now  come  out  of  the  water  in 
search  of  sandy  places,  where  they  bury 
their  eggs,  generally  about  sixty  in  num- 
ber, after  which  she   goes   back  to  the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


stream,  leaving  them  to  be  hatched  by 
the  warmth  of  the  sun.  These  eggs  are 
round,  and  have  a  shell  more  calcareous 
and  brittle  than  is  the  case  with  most 
turtles. 

This  is  the  month  when  the  out-door 
study  of  birds  really  begins,  and  some 
hints  as  to  method  may  be  helpful.  If 
you  are  to  succeed  in  really  knowing 
much  about  them,  you  must  establish 
personal  relations  with  them  in  their 
own  haunts,  and  this  requires  that  you 
introduce  yourself  courteously. 

You  would  resent  the  rudeness  of  a 
person  so  eager  to  know  you  that  he 
burst  your  door  and  came  into  your 
parlor  with  a  leap  and  a  shout.  So  do 
the  birds.  You  should  go  very  quietly 
to  their  place  of  residence,  and  respect 
their  desire  for  privacy  and  their  timidity. 
Remember,  that  every  bird  looks  upon 
you  as  a  source  of  danger — an  enemy — 
until  you  have  won  its  confidence  ;  and 
you  can  never  gain  this  unless  you  keep 
very  quiet,  avoiding  noise  and  hasty 
movements. 

Do  this,  and  you  will  soon  find  that  the 
birds'  little  flutter  of  alarm  has  passed, 
and  that  they  are  almost  as  curious  about 
you  as  you  are  in  regard  to  them  ;  a  little 
later  they  will  forget  your  presence  and 
go  on  in  their  affairs,  which  is  what  you 
most  of  all  desire. 

Having  some  book  describing  the  birds, 
you  will  find  that  you  also  need  a  good 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


May  i6  telescope  or  opera-g^lass  to  aid  you  in  see- 

ingtiie  birds  well.  It  is  undoubtedly  true, 
though  regrettable,  that  if  you  go  deeply 
into  ornithology,  and  try  to  make  your- 
self thoroughly  acquainted  with  every 
species  in  your  neighborhood,  you  must 
use  a  gun,  unless  you  have  access  to 
some  collection  of  bird-skins  by  which 
you  can  study  the  small  points  of  differ- 
ence which  distinguish  species  that  at  a 
distance  look  confusedly  alike.  But  a 
beginner  has  no  need  to  shoot,  and  I 
shall  assume  that  your  study  is  not  of 
dead  but  of  living  birds. 

The  early  morning  is  the  best  time  of 
the  day.  Birds  are  early  risers.  The  air 
is  cool,  the  light  is  good.  The  birds  are 
hungry  and  so  busy  in  feeding  that  you 
not  only  have  the  best  opportunity  to 
learn  what  they  eat,  and  how  they  find  or 
capture  it,  but  they  are  less  timid  than 
later  in  the  day.  Their  songs,  too,  are 
never  so  joyous  and  frequently  repeated 
as  in  the  early  morning  hours,  and  conse- 
quently so  easily  to  be  learned  and  mem- 
orized. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  go  a  long  way 
from  home  to  find  your  material,  unless 
you  live  in  the  heart  of  a  great  city,  and 
even  there  the  parks  abound  in  feathered 
visitors.  Early  morning  in  Central  Park. 
New  York,  or  along  the  Wissahickon,  in 
Philadelphia,  or  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chica- 
go, is  as  good  a  place  for  the  young  stu- 
dent as  the  heart  of  the  Blue  Ridge — bet- 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


ter,  in  fact,  for  most  birds  forsake  the 
woods  and  prefer  village  gardens  and 
rural  orchards,  fields,  and  roadsides.  No 
place  is  better  than  along  some  brook 
that  flows  through  an  old  farm  and  has 
arching  trees,  thickets,  and  an  occasional 
weed  -  patch  along  its  course.  In  such 
circumstances  birds  find  refuges  and  hid- 
ing-places in  case  of  alarm  from  a  hawk 
or  weasel  and  plenty  of  food,  sunshine, 
and  water. 

Don't  try  to  do  too  much  at  once.  Be 
content  to  keep. one  bird  under  observa- 
tion until  you  get  well  acquainted  with 
him.  Find  a  comfortable  seat  in  some 
retired  garden,  or  beneath  an  orchard 
tree,  or  beside  a  thicket,  open  your  book 
and  opera-glass,  and  then  keep  quiet  and 
wait  for  whatever  comes.  You  will  not 
have  long  to  wait,  and  you  will  get  a 
nearer  view  and  see  more  of  the  bird  and 
its  behavior  than  if  you  tried  to  follow  it : 
if  it  goes  away,  never  mind  ;  it  is  likely 
to  come  back  again,  and  the  less  you  at- 
tract its  attention  the  more  it  will  exhibit 
its  natural  manners  to  your  eager  eyes. 

Always  have  a  note-book  with  you,  and 
make  use  of  it.  It  need  not  be  an  elabo- 
rate affair;  a  few  loose  sheets  between 
the  leaves  of  your  hand-book  wmM  answer 
all  purposes ;  then  when  you  go  home 
write  out  in  this  volume,  under  the  ap- 
propriate date,  an  orderly  resume  of  the 
day's  results.  Even  a  mere  list  of  the 
birds  noticed  that  day  is  better  than  noth- 


104  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

jl^g^y  j3  ing,  but  you  will  find  much  else  to  say, 
and  the  more  you  add  as  to  the  attend- 
ing circumstances  of  weather,  vegetation, 
insect  life,  and  other  accompaniments  of 
bird  life,  the  more  light  will  you  throw 
upon  the  reasons  for  the  ornithological 
facts  you  have  learned. 

Few  windows  open  so  pleasantly  into 
the  temple  of  nature  as  that  through 
which  we  look  when  we  study  the  grace 
and  beauty  of  birds.  We  should  fall  short 
of  the  highest  advantage,  howev^er,  if  we 
learned  merely  to  recognize  the  birds 
apart,  and  failed  to  get  some  idea  of  the 
larger  world  of  which  they  are  but  one 
delightful  feature. 

Along  the  sea-shore  crabs  and  shrimps 
of  all  sorts  now  begin  to  come  inshore 
and  spread  over  the  tide-flats,  to  feed 
upon  fish-spawn,  bits  of  carrion,  etc.,  and 
towards  the  end  of  the  month  they  begin 
to  shed  their  shells.  Among  these  the 
most  striking  sight  is  the  arrival  of  the 
king  crabs,  or  horsefoots,  at  the  time  of 
the  extra  high  tides  accompanying  the 
filling  of  the  moon,  intent  upon  voiding 
their  spawn  at  the  limit  of  high  water. 

A  pair  comes  together,  the  male  riding 
upon  the  shield  of  the  female,  to  which 
he  clings.  "The  female  excavates  a  de- 
pression in  the  sand,  drops  her  spawn 
into  it,  upon  which  the  male  emits  the 
fecundating  fluid,  and  the  nest  is  at  once 
deserted,  the  parents  returning  seaward 
with   the    retreating     tide."      Spawning 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


may  go  on  through  June  and  July,  and 
the  eggs  hatch  in  about  two  and  a  half 
months. 

The  lobsters,  too.  are  spawning  in  Long 
Island  Sound  and  neighboring  waters 
near  shore.  "  There  is  a  great  differ- 
ence," we  are  told,  "  in  the  breeding-sea- 
son on  different  parts  of  the  coast.  The 
lobsters  from  New  London  and  Stoning- 
ton  often  lay  their  eggs  as  early  as  the 
last  of  April  or  first  of  May,  while  at  Hali- 
fax Mr.  Smith  found  females  with  recently 
laid  eggs  in-  September.  At  Eastport, 
Maine,  the  females  carry  their  eggs  in 
midsummer."  All  the  edible  crabs  now 
become  common  in  market. 

Meanwhile,  in  mountain  woods  far 
from  the  tide-fiats,  the  winter  bands  of 
deer  have  broken  up.  The  does,  in  some 
secure  thicket,  are  beginning  to  nurse 
their  spotted  fawns,  while  their  lords, 
with  aching  brows,  are  hiding  in  quiet 
dells,  feeling  the  first  throbbing  growth 
of  the  new  antlers,  to  the  completion  of 
which  the  summer  will  be  devoted,  and 
fighting  the  forest  flies. 

Early  in  this  month,  in  the  Alleghanies, 
and  towards  the  end  of  it,  in  Maine  and 
Canada,  the  gnats  that  have  survived  the 
winter  lay  their  eggs  upon  rocks  just 
above  the  water  of  swift  streams.  These 
hatch  in  a  few  hours,  when  the  larva 
crawls  down  into  the  water  and  attaches 
itself  to  some  submerged  plant,  like  a 
cress,  or  to  some  sunken  leaf,  and  feeds 


io6  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


jyiay  20  upon  its  juices.     After  a  few  days  it  sinks 

to  the  bottom  and  forms  a  cocoon,  in 
which  it  changes  to  the  pupa  stage,  the 
pupa's  head,  having  a  tuft  of  breathing 
filaments,  protruding  from  the  top  of  the 
case,  the  "tail  "  of  which  is  attached  to 
the  rock.  After  four  or  five  days  the 
complete  flly  escapes,  rises  to  the  top,  pro- 
tected from  drowning  by  a  coating  of 
hairs,  and  flies  away. 

Many  mammals,  besides  the  deer,  are 
.  now  confined  by  domestic  duties.  Our 
common  bats  are  with  young,  and  so  is 
the  familiar  white-footed  mouse,  which  so 
often  converts  an  abandoned  bird's  nest 
to  its  own  domestic  uses.  This  first  brood 
will  be  followed  by  one,  or  perhaps  two 
or  three,  more  broods  before  the  summer 
is  over.  The  short -tailed  shrew,  abun- 
dant everywhere,  has  the  same  cares,  to 
be  repeated  in  July;  and  the  cotton-tail 
rabbit  is  already  prep^aring  for  the  advent 
of  a  second  family,  while  the  larger 
northern,  or  varying  hare,  is  in  posses- 
sion of  her  first  litter  of  leverets.  These 
are  four  to  six  in  number,  and  rest  upon 
a  nest  of  straw  made  soft  with  pluckings 
of  the  mother's  fur.  Such  larger  ro- 
dents as  the  muskrat,  beaver,  woodchuck, 
and  porcupine  also  breed  in  May.  The 
little  ones  of  the  first  two  are  born  in  the 
burrows  in  the  banks  of  streams,  in- 
habited during  the  larger  part  of  the  year 
by  these  species.  The  young  wood- 
chucks  also   come  to   life   underground, 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  107 


in  some  dry  chamber  in  the  hill-side,  or.  May  21 

perhaps,  in  an  old   log  or  dead  stump.  " 

The  porcupine  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  a  home,  the  prickly  mother  seek- 
ing temporary  safety  in  a  hollow  tree- 
trunk,  or  in  a  little  cave  among  the  rocks. 
*'  Its  young,  generally  one  or  two  in  num- 
ber, are  born  about  the  ist  of  May,  and 
are  monstrous  for  the  size  of  the  species. 
They  are  actually  larger,"  according  to 
Dr.  Merriam.  "and  relatively  more  than 
thirty  times  larger  than  the  young  of  the 
black  bear  at  birth." 

This  is  the  month  when  weasels  bear 
young.  Merriam  says  that  the  nests  of 
the  larger  species,  the  stoat  or  ermine, 
"are  usually  made  in  an  old  stump  or 
log -heap,  or  under  some  out-building, 
and  from  four  to  six  young  are  common- 
ly brought  forth  early  in  May."  The 
young,  he  adds,  are  likely  to  remain 
during  the  summer  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
nest.  Thomas  Bell,  the  companion  of 
Audubon,  recorded  of  the  least,  or  New 
York  weasel,  that  "  the  female  brings 
forth  four,  or  more  frequently  five,  young, 
and  is  said  to  have  two  or  three  litters  a 
year.  The  nest  is  composed  of  dry  leaves 
and  herbage,  and  is  warm  and  dry,  being 
usually  placed  in  a  hole  in  a  bank,  in  a 
dry  ditch,  or  in  a  hollow  tree." 

Three  other  fur-bearing  mustelids  are 
also  breeding  now — the  mink,  the  sable, 
and  the  fisher,  or  pekan. 

The  mink  nests  in  burrows  or  hollow 


loS  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

May  22  •  logs,  where    its    lair    is    well    lined    with 

feathers,  and  sometimes,  it  is  said,  with 
the  fur  of  the  female  ;  though  it  might 
be  worth  while  to  examine  carefully 
whether  this  fur  is  not  that  from  hares 
and  other  victims  of  its  rapacity.  From 
four  to  six  young  constitute  an  ordinary 
litter,  and  the  young  follow  the  mother 
until  fall. 

As  for  the  fishers,  now  rare  even  in  the 
Adirondacks,  "their  nest  is  made  in  the 
hollow  of  some  standing  tree,  generally 
thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
from,  two  to  four  young  are  commonly 
brought  forth  about  the  ist  of  May." — 
{Merriani.) 

In  the  insect  world  May  is  a  period  of 
renewed  activity.  Many  species  that 
hibernate  as  adults  seem  not  to  get  thor- 
ouglily  awakened  from  their  long  winter 
sleep  until  the  warm  days  which  so  often 
come  early  in  this  delightful  month.  The 
hornets,  wasps,  and  bumble-bees  go  a- 
hunting  for  house-sites,  and  the  queens, 
which  alone  have  passed  the  winter  cour- 
ageously, begin  to  build,  relying  on  them- 
selves alone,  and  destined  to  have  no  as- 
sistance until  they  can  rear  workers  from 
the  eggs  they  themselv^es  must  lay  and 
care  for.  The  ants  also  resume  the  man- 
ifold activities  of  the  formicary,  while 
various  ichneumon-flies  are  abroad  look- 
ing for  any  early  worms  to  serve  as  hosts 
for  their  unborn  progeny.  In  the  garden 
the  currant  worms  have  hatched,  and  the 


iVM  TURE  S  CALENDAR  109 


white  butterflies  are  laying  the  eggs  from  May  23 

which  the  cabbage  worms  are  to  come.  ' 

Along  the  higluvays  and  in  open  glades 
the  winter  butterflies  are  disporting 
themselves,  enjoying  the  warm  sunshine 
that  rewards  them  for  the  long,  cold 
waiting  in  crevices  and  cracks  of  rocks 
and  logs.  Late  in  the  month  some  but- 
terflies tiiat  have  wintered  over  as  chrys- 
alids  make  their  appearance,  fresh  from 
their  mummy-cases.  In  the  orchard  the 
canker-worms  and  the  bud-worms  feed 
freely  on  the  young  and  unfolding  leaves, 

while  in  the  meadows  a  host  of  insects  . 

are  at  work  among  the  grasses.  The 
water  insects,  too,  are  again  active  wan- 
dering about  among  the  shadows  on  the 
rocky  bottom,  swimming  freely  through 
the  water,  or  playing  blithely  on  its  sur- 
face. 


no  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

May  24 


CALENDAR  FOR  MAY 

MAMMALS 

Nearly  all  mammals  complete  the  spring 
molt. 

Moles. — Produce  young  underground. 

Varying  Hare.  —  Summer  coat  renewed  ; 
young  born. 

IVoodcJmcks. — Produce  young  in  burrows. 

Beavers.  — VxoAwQ.^  young  in  bank  burrows. 

Porcupines. — Produce  young  in  dens. 

Wolves. — Produce  six  to  ten  puppies. 

Fishers. — Breed  in  their  forest  dens. 

BIRDS 

Terns  and  Petrels. — Arrive. 

Sheldrakes,  Mergansers. — Pass  northward. 

Brants. — Depart  northward  first  fortnight. 

Sora,  or  Carolina  Rails. — Pass  northward. 

Phalaropes.  — Pass  northward, 

Doivitchers. — Pass  northward. 

Some  bay-l)irds  linger  on  their  way  North. 

Boh  White. — Nesting  fourth  week,  on  the 
ground  in  stubble-fields. 

Ruffed  Grouse.  —  Nesting  second  week, 
beside  some  fallen  log  in  the  woods. 

Sharp-shin. — Nests  fourth  week,  on  trees  and 
cliffs. 

Cooper s  Hazuk. — Nests  first  week;  tall  trees. 

Pigeon  Haiuks. — Pass  North  first   fortnight. 

Sparrow  Hawk. — Nests  first  fortnight;  old 
woodpecker  holes  and  other  tree-hollows. 

Fish  Hawk. — Nests  first  week  ;  big  trees. 

Cuckoos. — Arrive  from  South  second  week. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


Black-billed   Cuckoo. — Nests    fourth    week;  ^ 

a  rude  nest  in  low  trees.  ■ ? — 5 

Kingfisher. — Nests   fourth   week,    boring  a 
deep  hole  in  a  stream  bank. 

Flicker. — Nests  second  week;    hole  cut  by 
itself  in  a  tree. 

Dozuny    Woodpecker  — Nests    second    week  • 
hole  cut  by  itself  in  an  orchard  tree. 

Hairy    Woodpecker.  —  Nests    third    week  ; 
hole. 

Nighthawks. — Arrive  from  South  first  week. 

Swift. — Nests  fourth  week  :  dead  chimneys. 

Humming-bird.  —  Nests    fourth   week  ;    or- 
chard or  forest  tree. 

Great  Crested  Kingbirds. — Arrive  first  week. 

Phccbe. — Nests   first  week,   often  beneath  a 
bridge  or  porch  ;  also  on  ledges  of  rocks. 

Olive-sided  Flycatchers.  —  Pass  North   third 
week. 

Wood  Pezvees. — Arrive   from   South    second 
week. 

Yellow-bellied  Flycatchers. — Pass  North  last 
fortnight. 

Acadian  Flycatchers. — Arrive    from    South 
first  week 

Fish  Crow. — Nests  third  week  ;  tall  tree. 

Blue  Jay. — Nests  fourth  week  ;  cedar-tree. 

Bobolinks. — Arrive  from  South  first  week. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. — Nests   third  week; 
alders  and  bushes  in  swamps. 

Orchard   Orioles.  —  Arrive  from   South  first 
week. 

Baltimore  Orioles. — Arrive   first  week;    nest 
fourth  week. 

Rusty  Blackbird. — Departs  Nortli  first  week. 

Purple  Finch. — Nests  third  week  ;    orchard 
tree. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Mav  26  Vesper  Spmrow.  —  Nests  second  week,  on 
the  ground  in  grassy  fields. 

Savanna  Sparroiv.  —  Nests  second  week  ; 
dry  fields,  especially  near  the  sea-coast. 

Sea-side  Sparroivs. — Nest  last  week;  salt 
marshes. 

WJiite-c7'oivned  Spaj-roz&s, — Pass  North  sec- 
ond and  third  weeks. 

Chipping  Sparroiv. — Nests  third  week  ;  bush. 

Field  Spaj'row. — Nests  third  week  ;  fields. 

Song  Sparrow. — Nests  first  week,  under  or 
in  low  brushes  or  on  the  ground. 

Siuainp  Sparroxo.  —  Nests  third  week,  near 
the  ground  in  wet  places. 

Chewink,  or  Towhee. — Nests  on  the  ground 
in  woods,  usually  on  a  hill-slope. 

Rose- breasted  Grosbeaks. — Arrive   first  week. 

Indigo-birds. — Arrive  from  South  first  week. 

Scarlet   Tanagers. — Arrive  first  week. 

Purple  Martins.  —  Nests  fourth  week  ;  bird 
boxes. 

Eave  S'u<alloio. — Nests  fourth  week,  outside 
barns,  making  a  row  of  "bottles"  under  the 
eaves. 

Barn  Sivallow.  —  Nests  first  week,  inside 
barns,  making  a  nest  of  mud  and  feathers 
plastered  against  or  laid  upon  beams. 

Tree,  or  White-bellied  Szvallow. — Nests  in 
bird  boxes,  or  in  holes  in  trees  and  posts. 

Bank,  or  Sand  Sivallozv. — Nests  ;  holes  in 
earthen  banks. 

Rough  -  ivinged  Srvallo'cV.  —  Rare.  Arrives 
early  ;  nests  third  week,  in  holes  in  stream 
banks. 

Red-eyed  Vireo. — Nests  fourth  week  ;  low 
trees,  making  a  cup-like  nest,  hung  by  its  rim 
in  a  forked  branch. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  113 


Warbling  Vtreos.—Arri\'e   from  South  first  May  27 

week.  " 

Bhie-headed  Vireos. — Pass  North  first  fort- 
night. 

White-eyed  Vireos. — Nests  fourth  week  ;  low 
trees.     All  vireos'  nests  much  alike. 

Black-and-White,  Blue-7vinoed  Yellow,  and 
Worm-eating  Warblers. — Arrive  from  South 
first  week. 

Nashville  and  Panda  Warblers. — Passing 
North  first  fortnight. 

Summer  Yello-o-birds. — Arrive  tirst  week. 

Black-throated  Bine,  Yelloxv-riwiped,  Chest- 
nut -  sided.  Bay  -  breasted,  and  Black  Poll 
Warblers.  —  Pass  northward  throughout  the 
month. 

Prairie  Warblers. — Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

Oven-bird. — Nests  late,  on  ground  in  woods. 

Water  Thrushes. — Pass  North  second  and 
third  weeks. 

Maryland  Yello7v-throats. — Nests  late,  oa 
the  ground  in  swampy  thickets. 

Yellow-breasted  Chat. — Nests  fourth  week; 
bushes. 

Hooded  Warble7-s. — Arrive  from  South  first 
week. 

Wilson's  Black-caps. — Pass  North  second 
and  third  weeks. 

Canadian  Warblers.  —  Pass  North  second 
and  third  weeks. 

Redstarts.— Kxx\s^  from  South  first  week. 

Cat-bird. — Nests  third  week;  thickets. 

Thrasher.  —  Nests  third  week  ;  thickets, 
brush-heaps,  often  on  the  ground. 

House  Wren. — Nests  late,  in  holes  and  bird 
boxes. 


114  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Mav  28  Marsh  Wrens. — Arrive  from  South  second 
week. 

Brozvn  Creeper. — Departs  North  first  week. 

White  -  breasted  Nuthatch.  —  Nests  fourth 
week  ;  old  woodpecker  holes  and  natural  cav- 
ities. 

Kinglets. — Depart  North  irregularly. 

Wood  Thrush. — Nests  third  week  ;  low  trees. 

Gray-cheeked  and  Olive-backed  Thrushes. — 
Pass  North  last  fortnight. 


FISHES 

Gar-pikes. — Spawning  in  the  St.  Lawrence. 

Suckers. — Ascending  small  northern  streams 
to  spawn. 

Mackerel.  —  Becoming  abundant  off  the 
coast. 

Shad-fishing. — Decreases  and  stops. 

Menhaden. — Approach  the  coast. 

Bluefish.  —  Arrive  in  New  York  Bay. 

Porgies. — Approach  the  coast. 

Kingfish,  Scup,  and  Sea-bass. — Arrive  in 
New  York  Bay. 

Rock  Bass. — Are  spawning. 

Black  Bass. — Preparing  nesting-places. 

White  Perch. — Begin  to  spawn. 

BATRACHIANS  AND  REPTILES 

Marbled  Salamander. — Young  leaving  the 
water. 

Gray  Salamander. — Found  in  pairs  under 
stones. 

Common  and  Spade -foot  Toads. — Spawning 
and  hatching. 

Pickering  s  Tree-frog. — Ceases  to  peep. 

Cricket  Frog. — Lays  eggs  first  week. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  115 

Wood-  frog.  —  Retiring     silently    into    the  May  20 

woods,  having  completed  its  propagation. 

Bullfrog. — Spawns  last  fortnight. 

Copperheads.  —  Resorting  to  swamps  and 
meadows  in  search  of  food  and  mates. 

Hognose. — Laying  eggs  in  southerly  parts. 

M lid- turtle. —  l.^ys  eggs  first  fortnight. 

Soft-shelled  Turtle, — Lays  eggs  middle  of 
the  month. 

INSECTS 

Hornets,  Brown  IVasps,  and  Yelloiv- Jackets. 
— Queens  rearing  young  and  enlarging  nests. 

Bumble-bees. — Queens  visiting  many  sorte 
of  flowers,  getting  nectar  and  pollen  to  feed 
the  young  developing  in  the  small  combs  of 
the  newly  constructed  nests. 

Mud-ivasps  and  Digger  Wasps.  —  Some 
species  on  the  wing. 

Ants. — Workers  busy  in  many  ways,  en- 
larging or  thatching  the  nest  ;  feeding  young  ; 
foraging  ;  attending  aphides,  etc. 

Ichneumon  -flies.  —  Some  species  searching 
for  caterpillars  and  other  victims  to  insert  their 
eggs  ;  also  sipping  nectar  of  various  flowers. 

Currant  Worms. — Larvae,  hatched  from  eggs 
laid  in  April,  are  feeding  on  the  leaves  of  cur- 
rant and  gooseberry  bushes. 

I\Iay  Beetles,  or  'fnne  Bugs'' — Adults  ap- 
pear flying  to  lights  at  night,  feeding  on  leaves 
of  trees,  and  depositing  eggs  in  grass-lands. 

Click  Beetles. — Adults  appear,  visiting  various 
shallow  blossoms  to  sip  the  nectar. 

Long-horned  Beetles. — Some  of  the  larvae 
change  to  pupae  within  their  burrows  in  trees 
and  logs. 


ii6 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Ti<^er  Beetles. — Some  species  running  about 
H^02  in  sandy  places. 

Ground  Beetles. — Abundant,  wandering  over 
ground  in  search  of  cutworms  and  other  vic- 
tims. 

Leaf  Beetles.— y\.2.\\y  sorts  lay  eggs  on  leaves 
of  various  plants.  Eggs  hatch  into  young  that 
feed  upon  the  leaves, 

Buprestid Beetles.— '^oxwt  of  the  larvse  change 
to  pupse. 

Ladybird  Beetles.— Some  species  lay  eggs  on 
bark  of  trees  and  in  other  situations.  Eggs 
hatch  into  the  peculiar  elongate  larvse. 

Bee  Flies  (Bombylidce).— Abundant,  visiting 
many  sorts  of  flowers. 

J/cmse  Flies.  —  Adults  continue  egg-laying  ; 
early  stages  grow  rapidly. 

Crane  Flies.— Adnhs  appear,  flying  slowly 
over  grass-lands  and  in  other  places. 

Gall  Flies. — Adults  of  many  species  appear 
and  lay  eggs  for  young. 

Baltiviore,  orPhceton  ^z^//'^;y?v.— Caterpillars 
which  have  hibernated  become  mature  and 
change  to  chrysalids ;  live  in  swampy  places, 
where  they  feed  on  leaves  of  Chelone  and  other 
plants. 

Violet-tip  Butterfly.  —  Adults  come  from 
hibernating-quarters  and  fly  over  fields  and 
along  highways. 

Hop  Merchant,  or  Comma  Butterfly.— X<^n\\.s 
flying  about,  seeking  elm  and  hop  leaves,  on 
which  they  deposit  their  eggs. 

Gray  Comma,  or  Progne  Butterfly. — Adults 
still  flying,  laying  eggs  upon  currant  and  wild 
gooseberry  plants. 

Mourning  Cloak,  or  Antiopa  Butterfly. — 
Adults  continue  on  wing ;  about  the  middle  of 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  117 

the  month  they  lay  eggs  in  chisters  on  twigs  of  May  31 

willow,  elm,  and  poplar.  ~~ 

Red  Admiral  Biitterjiy.  — Comes  from  winter- 
quarters  and  appears  on  the  wing  in  fields  and 
along  roadsides. 

Fainted- lady  Butterfly.  —  Hibernating  but- 
terflies appear  on  the  wing  about  the  middle  of 
the  month,  and  continue  to  be  seen  for  four  or 
five  weeks. 

Spring  Azure  Butterfly. — More  abundant 
than  in  April,  three  varieties  of  the  species  oc- 
curring in  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 

Gray  Hair-streak  Butterfly. — Adults  appear 
in  fields,  and  continue  to  be  found  all  sum- 
mer. 

Imported  Cabbage  Butterfly. — Adults  com- 
mon in  fields  and  gardens,  depositing  eggs  on 
cabbageand  other  cruciferous  plants. 

Clouded  Sulphur  Butterfly.— l&\Xiier^\e^  of 
first  brood  appear. 

Green  -  clouded  Swallozutail.  —  Adults  come 
from  chrysalids,  the  males  appearing  about  a 
week  before  the  females. 

Black  S-cuallowtail,  or  Asterias  Butterfly. — 
Adults  emerge  from  the  hibernating  chrysalids 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 

Cutworm  Moths. — Larvae  of  some  species 
pupate  in  the  soil. 

Cafiker-7uorms.  —  Larvae  feeding  upon  the 
leaves  of  apple  and  elm. 

Leaf -miners. — Moths  of  many  species  come 
from  pupae  and  deposit  eggs. 

Caddis -flies. —  Larvae  still  to  be  found  in 
abundance  in  ponds  and  streams. 

Ilellgrammites.  —  Larvae  leave  water  and 
seek  shelter  under  logs  to  pupate. 

Squash-bugs  and  similar  species. — Continue 


„8  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Summary  for  May 


active,  feeding  upon  theii  food-plants,  and  lay- 
ing eggs  for  new  broods. 

Tree-hoppers. — Late  in  the  month  eggs  hatch 
into  young  hoppers. 

Leaf -hoppers. — Young  of  new  brood  appear, 
being  especially  noticeable  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  month. 

Scale  /«j-^<r/j-.— Towards  the  end  of  the  month 
the  eggs  hatch. 

Plant-lice,  or  Aphides. — Young  from  winter 
eggs  mature  and  give  birth  to  new  broods. 

Red-legged  Locust  audits  allies. — Eggs  hatch 
towards  the  end  of  the  month  if  season  is  for- 
ward. 

Coral-zuinged  Locust.— \Av\\i%  appear. 
Tree  Crickets. — Eggs  hatdi  near  the  end  of 
the  month. 

Black  Crickets.— '6on\Q  young  hatch  from 
eggs  late  in  May. 

Dragon-Jlies. — Adults  of  some  species  ap- 
pear, and  are  chased  by  martins. 

May-flies. — Adults  appear,  becoming  more 
abundant  towards  the  end  of  the  month. 

Springtails  and  Bristletails. — More  com- 
mon  in  rubbish  and  under  stones,  and  con- 
tinue abundant  throughout  the  summer. 


JUNE 


There  is  a  quiet  spirit  in  these  woods, 
That  dwells  where'er  the  south  wind  blows; 
Where  underneath  the  whitethorn,  in  the  glade 
The  wild  flowers  bloom." 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


JUNE 

As  May  was  the  month  of  the  coming  June  i 

of  the  birds,  with  bursting  forth  of  leaf-  ~~ 

age  and  bloom,  so  June  is  distinctly  the 
month  of  their  home-life.  Some — early 
beginners — have  already  a  family  to  en- 
gross their  attention  ;  others  are  sitting 
on  their  eggs,  while  still  others  are  just 
constructing  their  nests;  but,  in  some 
degree,  all  birds  are  domestic  in  June. 

This  means  that  they  are  doing  more 
than  simply  making  nests  or  watching 
eggs  or  callow  young.  It  means  that 
they  are  wearing  the  brightest  plumage 
and  uttering  the  brightest  songs  of  the 
year,  for  now  is  the  culmination  of  the 
bird  year,  and  all  deck  themselves  for  it 
— "a  livelier  iris  comes  upon  the  bur- 
nished dove."  In  some  cases  special  or- 
naments are  added  to  the  plumage,  to  be 
shed  at  the  next  molt.  Such  is  the 
aigrette  of  the  white  herons,  now  exter- 
minated from  Florida,  and  in  danger  of 
extinction  elsewhere  through  the  rapacity 
of  gunners  who  kill  them  to  get  the  love- 
ly back  tufts  for  the  milliners'  use.  The 
most  striking  example  of  this  special 
breeding  costume  in  our  eastern  fields  is 
that  of  the  goldfinch,  which,  dull  and  in- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


June  2  conspicuous  during  the  wintry  half  of  the 

year,  is  now  brilliant  and  brave  in  a  suit 
of  sable  and  gold.  The  bobolink  is  an- 
other example. 

The  singing  of  the  birds  is  now  at  its 
climax,  too — the  crowning  grace  of  this 
sweetest  month  of  the  year.  How  much 
of  the  joyousness  of  June  is  due  to  their 
melody  !  How  it  welcomes  the  rising  of 
the  day  upon  a  blooming  and  odorous 
world  with  glorious  matins,  and  ushers  in 
the  evening  with  vesper  hymns !  But 
every  hour  of  this  happy  season  is  ring- 
ing with  bird  music,  as  it  is  redolent  of 
the  perfume  of  flowers.  One  hears,  first 
of  all,  at  the  earliest  gray  intimation  of 
dawn,  the  cheerful  summons  of  the  robin. 
The  phoebe  is  quickest  to  make  response 
to  this  reveille,  but  it  is  hardly  light  be- 
fore all  the  others  are  awake  and  in  tune. 
From  the  borders  of  the  distant  wood 
come  the  rollicking  whistle  of  the  cardi- 
nal and  the  staccato  notes  of  that  other 
"redbird,"  the  fiery,  black-winged  tana- 
ger,  while  shrill  exclamations  from  flick- 
ers and  oven-birds  and  redstarts  strike 
through  the  softer,  more  continuous  mel- 
ody of  the  thrushes.  In  the  deeper 
woods,  at  sunrise,  the  illumined  arches 
'  of  the  trees  are  vivid  with  the  gay  coats 

and  pleasant  chatter  of  warblers,  fly- 
catchers, and  titmice.  The  meadows  and 
pasture-lands  echo  to  the  jolly  roundelay 
of  the  song  sparrow,  the  prattling  of  field 
sparrows    and    indigo -birds,    while    the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  123 

crazy  bobolinks,  hovering  over  grass  or  June  3 

grain,  are  no  wilder  in  their  antics  than 
are  the  yellow-breasted  chats  that  turn 
somersaults  above  the  roadside  thickets. 
Here  and  in  the  orchard  are  heard,  in  the 
brisk  morning  air,  the  warbling  of  the 
vireos,  the  clear  carols  of  the  two  orioles, 
the  brilliant  performance  of  the  rose- 
breasted  grosbeak  ;  while  close  about  the 
house,  as  we  step  from  the  door  to  take 
a  look  at  the  morning,  our  ears  are 
pleased  with  the  exquisite  voices  of  wren 
and  yellow-bird,  vireo,  chebec,  blackbird, 
and  half  a  dozen  other  intimate  friends. 

This  singing  of  the  birds  in  the  spring 
— and  at  no  other  season  do  they  truly 
sing,  for  the  calling  notes  are  different — 
is  an  expression  of  their  joyous  excite-  . 
ment  over  this  time  of  love-making  and 
domestic  happiness.  It  is  directed  mainly 
towards  their  mates,  and  is  a  part  of  the 
display  by  which  they  seek  to  win  and 
keep  them.  Rivals  sing  against  one  an- 
other, and  sometimes  these  contests  are 
amusing  to  listen  to,  as,  for  example, 
when  the  whippoorwiUs  try  to  race  one 
another  out  of  breath  in  their  moonlight 
chorus.  There  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  this  singing  has  been  gradually  en- 
larged and  perfected  during  past  ages  by 
natural  selection,  just  as  the  brilliant 
dresses  worn  by  many  male  birds  have 
been  acquired  in  contrast  to  the  plain 
suits  of  their  brooding  mates. 

Why  do  birds  choose  this  early  part  of 


124 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Tyjjg  .  the  summer— as  early  as  possible,  in  fact 

•  — for   their   home-making,  instead    of   a 

later,  warmer  season?  Plainly,  in  order 
to  have  time  to  rear  their  young  into  the 
strength  enabling  them  to  travel  south- 
ward, if  they  be  migratory  in  habit,  or  to 
endure  the  winter,  if  they  remain  with  us 
the  year  round.  Moreover,  it  is  in  May 
and  June,  more  than  later  in  the  sum- 
mer, that  proper  food  for  the  young  can 
be  obtained.  This  consists  almost  wholly 
of  worms,  and  the  larvae  of  insects,  cater- 
pillars, grubs,  etc.  Seed-eating  birds,  as 
well  as  the  insect-killing  ones,  must  hav^e 
this  sort  of  food  for  their  fledgelings,  and 
must  obtain  it  in  great  quantities;  hence 
they  must  hatch  their  eggs  at  the  season 
when  young  insects  most  abound. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  it  will  be  proper  for 
us  to  describe  briefly  the  situation  of  the 
nests  of  the  birds  more  commonly  to  be 
found  now  in  the  eastern  United  States. 

Both  the  cuckoos  are  nesting  early  in 
the  month,  though  the  black -billed  is 
rather  more  hasty  in  beginning  than  the 
yellow-billed.  They  build  rude  nests  of 
twigs,  coarse  weed -stems,  pine-needles, 
etc.,  and  place  them  in  low,  dense  trees, 
like  evergreens,  usually  close  to  the  trunk. 
All  of  the  flycatchers,  except  the  hardy 
and  hasty  phoebe-bird,  postpone  their  nid- 
ification  until  June,  and  .present,  in  the 
great  variety  of  their  nesting,  an  interest- 
ing exception  to  the  rule  that  birds  nearly 
related  are  similar  in  their  architecture. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  125 


This  diversity  is  especially  striking  in  the  June  r 

case  of  the  small  "  tyrant  "  group.  Thus 
the  phoebe-bird  erects  a  home  of  mud  and 
living  moss,  almost  as  big  and  heavy  as  a 
robin's  nest,  and  glues  it  against  a  wall, 
or  sets  it  on  a  rock-shelf,  or  on  some  stone 
or  timber  about  a  bridge  or  house.  The 
chebec  weaves  a  little  cup  of  hempen 
shreds  and  other  soft  materials,  hardly 
distinguishable  from  that  of  the  summer 
yellow-bird,  and,  like  that  garden  warbler, 
sets  it  snugly  in  the  upright  fork  of  some 
garden  bush  or  shade-tree  by  the  road- 
side. For  the  home  of  its  cousin,  the  lit- 
tle green,  or  Acadian,  flycatcher,  however, 
you  must  go  to  the  woods  and  search  the 
ends  of  the  boughs  of  low  trees,  where  it 
will  be  found  suspended,  like  a  slightly 
woven  hammock,  across  some  horizontal 
fork.  Wholly  different  from  any  of  these 
methods  is  that  of  the  wood  pewee;  its 
nest  is  an  exquisitely  soft  cup  set  upon 
the  top  of  some  stout  limb.  Usually  an 
old,  half-dead  branch  is  chosen,  more  or 
less  overgrown  with  lichens,  and  these 
very  lichens  are  plucked  here  and  there 
by  the  careful  bird  and  glued  to  its  nest, 
so  that  the  little  cup  is  made  to  look  like 
a  natural  excrescence. 

Our  two  kingbirds,  the  common  "bee- 
martin  "  and  the  great -crested  flycatch- 
er, make  bulky  nests  of  coarse  materials. 
The  kingbird  puts  his  usually  in  an  or- 
chard tree,  but  the  great- crested  fly- 
catcher chooses  some   cavity   in   a  tall 


126  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


jyjjg  5  Stump  or  broken  tree,  and  has  the  singu- 

— larity  of  weaving  into  his  structure  the 

cast  skin  of  a  snake — usually  that  of  the 
milk-snake. 

The  orioles  are  the  latest  of  the  star- 
ling tribe  to  begin  housekeeping,  and  of 
these  the  orchard  oriole  is  more  tardy 
than  the  Baltimore.  Its  nest  is  not  hung, 
like  the  safe  pouch  of  the  Baltimore, 
among  the  drooping,  flexible  ends  of  outer 
branches,  but  is  composed  of  grasses 
woven  into  a  thick,  deep  cup,  half  hung 
in  the  fork  of  some  apple-tree. 

Two  other  v^ery  late  nesters  in  orchard 
and  garden  are  the  cedar-bird,  or  cherry- 
bird  (a  waxwing),  and  the  goldfinch.  The 
former  makes  a  compact  nest  placed  in 
some  orchard  tree.  The  goldfinch  is  al- 
most equally  late  in  its  nidification,choos- 


in  pastures,  along  country  roads,  and  in 
our  gardens. 

The  sparrows  are  mostly  early  breed- 
ers, but  several  prepare  nests  for  second 
broods  in  June  ;  and  some  of  the  ground- 
keeping  species,  like  the  yellow- winged, 
may  wait  until  the  early  part  of  the 
month  to  lay  their  first  eggs.  The  indigo- 
bird,  however,  is  late  in  its  house-build- 
ing, waiting  usually  until  the  loth  before 
laying  its  eggs  in  the  pretty  cup  that  it 
fastens  securely  in  some  fork  of  a  bush 
or  sapling  in  the  thickets  at  the  edge  of 
the  woods  or  along  field  boundaries.  No 
place  is  so  beloved  by  small  birds  as  the 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  127 


bushes  and  vines  and  seed-bearing  weeds  june  7 

that    hide    neglected    fences    and    stone 

walls;   and  here,  in  a  somewhat   larger 

tree,  is  placed  the  rough   home  of   the 

rose-breasted  grosbeak,  and  perhaps  also 

that  of  the  scarlet  tanager,  though  that 

gay  fellow  likes  better  the  seclusion  of  the 

woods,  for  his  wife  at  any  rate. 

Another  conspicuous  June  breeder,  in 
localities  where  marshes  favor  their  pres- 
ence, are  the  marsh  wrens.  These  con- 
struct hollow  balls,  as  big  as  one's  head, 
made  of  blades  of  the  marsh  -  grass,  and 
hung  among  the  reeds  to  which  it  is  firm- 
ly bound.  The  entrance  is  a  hole  in  the 
side.  Whether  it  is  necessary  to  wait 
until  the  reeds  have  grown  to  a  certain 
height  and  thickness,  or  whether  some 
other  reason  prevails,  at  any  rate  these 
active  and  noisy  little  creatures,  which 
arrive  early  in  May,  do  not  get  at  their 
egg-laying  until  the  middle  of  June. 

June  is  the  breeding-month  of  such  of 
the  warblers  as  remain  to  nestle  in  our 
latitude,  and  the  list  includes  some  of  the 
most  interesting  and  beautiful  of  this 
fascinating  race.  Commonest  and  best- 
known  of  all  these  is  the  summer  yellow- 
bird,  or  golden  warbler,  whose  trilling 
voice  comes  to  our  ears  from  every  garden 
shrub.  In  such  places,  and  especially 
among  the  boughs  of  the  maples  that 
shade  village  streets,  it  weaves  its  neat, 
hempen,  softly  lined  nest. 

Other  tree-builders  among  the  warblers 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


June  8  are  the  chestnut-sided,  the   hooded,  the 

black -throated  blue,  the  caerulean,  the 
prairie  warbler,  and  the  redstart.  One  of 
the  hardest  warbler  nests  to  find  is  that 
of  the  blue  yellow-back  {Panda),  which 
fabricates  a  home  within  a  mass  of  the 
gray  moss  (  Tillandsia)  hanging  from  dead 
trees  in  swampy  forests.  It  is  nowhere 
numerous,  and  its  nest  is  one  of  the  prizes 
of  the  collector's  fascinating  pursuit. 

Strangely,  when  one  considers  the  di- 
minutive size  and  the  delicacy  of  warblers, 
many  of  them  make  their  nests  upon  or 
very  near  to  the  ground.  Thus  the  Ken- 
tucky warbler,  of  southerly  range,  hides 
its  grass-woven  nest  at  the  roots  of  some 
brier  or  other  bush  in  a  swampy  thicket, 
just  like  its  northern  relative,  the  Mary- 
land yellow-throat.  Other  warblers  hid- 
ing their  nests  in  little  nooks  among  the 
dead  leav^es  of  the  woods  and  hill-side 
thickets,  sometimes  in  tiny  caves,  and 
sometimes  a  little  elevated  among  the 
stems  of  a  low  bush,  are  the  Nashville, 
the  worm-eating,  the  golden-winged,  the 


myrtle-bird,  the  oven-bird  (whose  nest  is 
neatly  covered  with  a  hut  of  leaves,  like  a 
tovvhee's),  and  its  cousin,  the  long-billed 
water  thrush,  which  must  be  looked  for 
along  a  wooded  brook-side. 

Insects,  as  has  already  been  explained 
in  these  pages,  usually  have  only  one 
year  of  life.  The  old  ones  die  off  for  the 
most  part  in  the  fall,  leaving  eggs,  cater- 
pillars, or  chrysalids,  that  last  through 


the  winter  to  come  to  life  when  warmth 
and  vegetation  revive  in  the  spring.  The 
eggs  are  laid  with  marvellous  instinct 
upon  the  plants  that  form  the  proper  and 
perhaps  the  only  possible  food  for  the 
caterpillar  to  be  hatched  out  of  them. 
The  grubs  and  caterpillars  that  have 
been  lying  dormant  during  the  winter  in 
the  ground,  or  under  bark,  or  inside 
some  snug  retreat,  in  rotten  wood  or  the 
like,  also  find  proper  food  at  hand  when 
they  awake — often  highly  improper  food 
from  our  point  of  view,  for  they  attack 
the  roots  or  leaves  of  the  plants  we  have 
been  carefully  cultivating. 

The  warm,  moist  days  of  May  and  June 
bring  these  caterpillars  to  life  in  count- 
less thousands,  and  in  every  sort  of  place, 
so  that  there  is  enough  of  them  in 
amount  and  variety  to  satisfy  all  the 
birds— more  than  enough,  for  now  and 
then  they  overflow  into  the  devastating 
"armies  of  worms"  that  destroy  our 
lawns,  meadows,  grain-fields  and  shade- 
trees.  Let  us  look  at  this  subject  of  cat- 
erpillars a  little  more  closely. 

Many  insects  in  the  second  (larval) 
stage  of  growth  may  be  called  caterpil- 
lars, but  those  in  which  we  are  especially 
interested  at  this  season  are  young  but- 
terflies. Most  of  these  are  worm-like, 
with  a  conspicuous  horny  head,  having 
well-developed  jaws,  and  often  long,  flex- 
ible horns,  by  which  they  investigate 
their  food  and  feel  their  way  about.    The 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR  ,,,, 

June  9 


I30  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


June  10  body  is  composed  of  rings ;  the  first  ttiree, 

back  of  the  head,  correspond  to  the  chest 

of  the  fully  developed  insect,  and  the 
remainder  (nine)  to  the  abdomen ;  the 
skin  is  thin  and  loose,  and  perforated 
in  each  ring  by  a  breathing  pore.  The 
chest  rings  have  three  pairs  of  stubby 
"  forelegs,"  which  will  become  the  true 
legs  of  the  butterfly,  while  the  hinder 
part  is  usually  supported  by  five  other 
pairs  of  temporary  feet.  In  the  "  inch 
worms,"  however  (the  wire-like  caterpil- 
lars of  many  familiar  moths),  the  feet  are 
placed  only  at  the  head  and  tail,  and 
these  larvae  hunch  themselves  along  by 
arching  their  bodies  and  measuring  their 
length  with  each  step. 

Caterpillars  are  soft  and  juicy,  nearly 
all  feeding  wholly  upon  green  plants,  and 
therefore  they  form  the  most  easily  di- 
gested as  well  as  nutritious  food  for  the 
baby  birds,  which  consume  a  surprising 
quantity  of  them.  But  nature  here,  as 
elsewhere,  has  so  arranged  matters  that 
no  living  shall  be  had  without  work,  and 
that  no  creature  shall  be  left  without  a 
fair  chance  in  the  world. 

Some  caterpillars  are  aided  in  their 
fight  for  life  by  the  ability  co  remain  hid- 
den, forcing  their  enemies  to  dig  them 
out  of  their  castles  ;  others  conceal  them- 
selves by  constructing  some  sort  of  a 
shelter  from  the  weather  and  from  prying 
eyes  ;  still  others  go  abroad,  but  are  pro- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  131 


mies  by  spines,  or  hairs,  or  the  abihty  to  \viti^  ii 

throw  out  some  offensive  liquid  or  odor,  

or  they  are  of  such  a  color  as  easily  to  be 
overlooked.  Thus  caterpillars  that  draw 
together  the  edges  of  a  leaf,  forming  a 
little  house  in  which  to  conceal  them- 
selves, or  that  burrow  in  old  wood  or  the 
pith  of  living  plants,  are  usually  nearly 
white,  but  those  that  travel  about  in  view 
are  so  colored  as  closely  to  resemble  the 
objects  upon  which  they  are  accustomed 
to  stay  and  feed.  Most  of  them,  there- 
fore, are  of  the.  precise  green  of  the  leaves 
whose  juices  they  suck;  others  are  gray 
or  brown,  mimicking  the  bark  and  twigs 
upon  which  they  crawl.  Many,  it  is  true, 
are  of  bright  hues — yellow,  red,  or  red- 
brown,  black  and  white,  or  striped,  barred 
and  spotted  with  strong  colors,  foretell- 
ing the  brilliant  ornamentation  of  the 
winged  adults  to  follow.    Such  are  almost 


always  guarded  by  their  ugly  knobbed  or 
horned  appearance,  or  by  an  armature  of 
barbed  prickles,  or  a  covering  of  stiff 
hairs,  or  by  special  organs  of  defence. 
The  caterpillars  of  the  swallowtailed  but- 
terflies, for  instance,  are  provided  with  a 
sort  of  double-barrelled  gun  which  may 
be  pushed  out  f'-om  behind  the  head,  and 
it  will  discharge  an  odor  disgusting  to 
insect-eating  creatures.  Most  caterpillars 
"resist  arrest"  by  hurling  their  heads 
from  side  to  side,  or  by  causing  their 
barbed  and  acrid  spines  or  hairs  to  prick 
and  annoy  their  enemies ;  these  are  usu- 


132  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

June  12  ally  distinctly  colored,  and  may  thus  be 

easily  recognized  and  avoided.  Many 
birds  will  not  touch  such  caterpillars, 
■^  while  some,  like  the  cuckoos,  will  seize 

the  most  hairy  ones  as  quickly  as  any 
other,  but  beat  them  into  a  pulp  before 
swallowing  them. 

When  one  remembers  that  most  of 
these  caterpillars,  grubs,  and  other  insect 
larvae  are  destructive  to  plants,  and  that 
those  which  attack  cultivated  plants  and 
trees  are  given  a  chance  to  multiply  just 
as  fast  as  we  cultivate  their  customary 
foods,  one  can  see  how  important  it  is  to 
protect  and  encourage  the  birds  that  are 
almost  our  only  means  of  keeping  the  in- 
sect hosts  within  bounds.  The  plainest 
common-sense  enjoins  this,  and  it  ought 
not  to  be  necessary  to  teach  it  or  argue 
about  it  at  all. 

Before  the  month  is  out,  a  wide  variety, 
as  well  as  countless  numbers  of  larvae, 
have  changed  by  molting  into  the  pupa 
or  chrysalis  stage  of  insect  growth,  and 
are  quietly  developing  into  butterflies, 
moths,  etc.  Most  of  the  chrysalids  to 
be  found  this  month  are  not  protected 
by  thick,  felted,  or  paper-like  cases,  such 
as  those  of  the  winter-sleeping  sorts,  but 
are  naked  and  smooth,  and  many  are 
suspended  by  a  point  glued  to  some  ob- 
ject, or  else  are  hung  in  a  sling  or  girdle 
of  threads.  They  are  dull-colored,  as  a 
rule,  and  readily  overlooked,  but  once 
seen  are  easily  recognized,  for  they  re- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


133 


semble  the  body  of  an  adult  insect  much  \yxvi^  13 

more  than  did  the  caterpillars.     By  the  

end  of  June  vast  numbers  hav^e  burst,  and 
the  "  imago  "  formed  within  has  spread 
its  wings  and  is  lending  interest  and 
beauty  to  the  scene  as  it  flits  from  flower 
to  flower;  but  next  month  will  see  even 
more  of  these  exquisite  creatures. 

"Whether  we  look,  or  whether  we  listen, 
We  hear  life  murmur,  or  see  it  glisten  ; 
Every  clod  feels  a  stir  of  might, 

An    instinct   within    it    that    reaches    and 
towers, 
And,  groping  blindly  within  it  for  light. 
Climbs  to  a  soul  in  grass  and  flowers ; 
The  cowslip  startles  in  meadows  green, 

The  buttercup  catches  the  sun  in  its  chalice, 
And  there's  never  a  leaf  nor  a  blade  too  mean 

To  be  some  happy  creature's  palace  ; 
The  little  bird  sits  at  his  door  in  the  suii, 

Atilt  like  a  blossom  among  the  leaves, 
And  lets  his  illumined  being  o'errun 

With  the  deluge  of  summer  it  receives  ; 
His  mate  feels  the  eggs  beneath  her  wings, 
And  the  heart  in  her  dumb  breast  flutters 

and  sings  ; 
He  sings  to  the  wide  world  and  she  to  her 

nest — 
In  the  nice  ear  of  nature,  which  song  is  the 
best  ?" 

Early  summer  is  a  quiet  season  among 
the  "four- foots" — as  Mrs.  Wright  pret- 
tily styles  the  quadrupeds — who  are  en- 
gaged with  family  cares  like  the  birds. 
Young  'coons,  foxes,  skunks,  and  minks 


134  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Tune  14  ^^^  fairly  well-grown  and  learning  the 

road  to  hen-coops  and  cornfields;   the 

prickly  children  of  Father  Porcupine  are 
six  weeks  old  or  so,  but  Madam  Musk- 
rat  has  hardly  let  her  youngsters  out  of 
the  house  yet.  The  porcupines  come 
down  from  the  trees  now,  and  wander 
about  the  meadows  a  good  deal,  browsing 
on  new  grass;  and  at  night  they  seek  the 
edges  of  ponds,  and  gorge  themselves  on 
the  succulent  young  shoots  of  sagittaria, 
and  later  eat  the  lilies. 

All  the  squirrels  have  well-grown  fami- 
lies, though  those  of  the  warmth-loving 
flying  squirrels  may  hardly  be  weaned  in 
the  more  northerly  regions.  The  gray, 
fox,  and  red  squirrels  are  moving  about 
in  family  parties,  studying  their  ways  of 
life,  living  largely  on  maple  keys,  and 
nibbling  at  a  good  many  of  the  harder 
sorts  of  chrysalids  and  such  beetles  as 
they  come  across.  The  fathers  and  big 
brothers  are  absent  from  such  family- 
parties,  however,  having  been  driven 
away  by  the  females  as  soon  as  the 
young  were  born,*  and  now  rambling  far 
away  through  the  woods  in  search  of  ad- 
ventures. 

In  a  similar  way  young  weasels  and 
minks  are  now  beginning  to  move  about 
with  their  mothers  and  take  lessons  in 
the  predatory  arts  of  which  their  parents 

*See  my  Wild  Neighbors  (New  York, 
i8q7),  chap.  i. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  135 

are  masters.     This  is  by  no  means  pleas-  June  15 

ing  to  the  birds  or  to  the  fraternity  of 
mice,  for  the  weasels  and  their  sharp- 
toothed  kin  prowl  day  and  night,  in  June, 
in  search  of  nests— especially  those  con- 
taining young  birds.  Watching  with  keen 
eyes,  and  sniffing  with  sensitive  noses, 
they  steal  through  the  grass,  or  creep 
lithe  and  still  along  the  branches,  trying 
to  surprise  the  little  mother  brooding 
over  her  treasures.  Failing  in  that,  the 
marauder  may,  at  least,  hope  to  rifie  the 
nest  of  its  eggs  or  its  young — either  will 
be  welcome. 

The  red  squirrels  are  also  addicted  to 
this,  proving  a  dreadful  scourge  to  the 
birds  where  they  are  plentiful ;  and  such 
nests  as  those  of  the  oriole  and  vireo, 
which  are  beyond  their  reach,  are  liable 
to  be  rifled  by  crows  and  blue  jays,  so 
that  all  is  not  peace  among  the  birds  in 
this  sweet  June  weather. 

Such  "small  deer"  as  field-mice  and 
rabbits  have  got  one  family  out  of  the 
way,  and  are  preparing  for  a  second  ;  but 
the  beautiful  spotted  fawns  of  the  real 
deer  are  finding  the  use  of  their  slender 
legs,  and  learning  lessons  in  woodcraft  as 
they  timidly  follow  the  does  to  the  feed- 
ing-places, while  the  red  bucks  are  hid- 
ing away,  with  aching  brows,  for  their 
new  antlers  are  now  sprouting  "  in  the 
velvet." 

June's  fishes  do  not  differ  greatly  from 
those  of  May.     Young  of  some  kinds  be- 


136  NATURE'S    CALENDAR      

June  i6  gin  to  appear,  and  others  are  spawning 

— such  as  perch  and  sunfish — in  the  more 
northerly  ponds  and  streams.  The  fish- 
ing for  the  short-nosed  sturgeon  ("Al- 
bany beef")  begins  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  in  the  Hudson,  after  the  shad-fish- 
ing is  done  with. 

In  the  bays  along  the  coast  small  floun- 
ders attract  indolent  anglers.  The  best 
fishing  of  the  month,  however,  is  for 
sheepshead,  which  now  enter  the  shallow 
sounds  and  harbors,  where  they  will  re- 
main until  autumn. 

The  black-nosed  dace  are  nesting  and 
guarding  their  nests  in  the  shallow  edges 
of  clear  streams  and  ponds  with  jealous 
care  ;  and  they  are  all  in  their  rosy  nup- 
tial dress.  How  intelligently  they  arrange 
this  matter  is  well  told  in  The  American 
Naturalist  for  1879,  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Gregg, 
of  Elmira,  N.  Y.: 

"  In  the  early  part  of  June,  1878,  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  offered  itself  for  ob- 
serving the  breeding-habits  of  the  dace. 
Standing  one  afternoon  upon  one  of  the 
bridges  of  the  river  in  this  city,  a  nest  of 
this  fish  was  discovered  in  the  stream  be- 
low; it  was  about  two  feet  in  diameter, 
situated  in  running  water  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  inches  deep,  and  protected  upon 
the  upper  side  by  a  small  root,  by  which 
the  current  of  the  water  was  broken. 
The  female  would  pass  over  the  pebbles 
and  deposit  her  spawn,  while  the  male 
stood  ready  for  an  attack,  and  on  the  ap- 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


proach  of  an  enemy  would  dart  off  like 
a  flash  in  pursuit  of  the  intruder. 

"  When  no  danger  was  near,  and  after 
the  bed  had  been  covered  with  spawn,  the 
female  would  stand  sentry  until  the  male 
had  passed  over  the  eggs,  and  then  both 
would  proceed  up  the  stream  from  four 
to  ten  feet  or  more,  and  taking  a  small 
pebble  in  their  mouths  would  quickly  re- 
turn and  deposit  them  on  the  fecundated 
eggs.  Sometimes  but  one  fish  would  go 
for  pebbles,  the  other  lingering  near. 
Thus  layer  .  after  layer  of  impregnated 
eggs  and  pebbles  were  deposited,  one 
upon  the  other.  .  .  .  The  covering  of  the 
eggs  retained  them  in  their  place,  and  at 
the  same  time  protected  them  from  be- 
ing destroyed  by  other  fishes,  who  were 
constantly  hovering  about,  like  vultures, 
watching  an  opportunity  to  devour  them, 
while  the  interstices  between  the  pebbles 
gave  sufficient  space  to  harbor  the  little 
fry  as  soon  as  hatched." 

June  is  the  time  when  the  bull-heads 
or  smaller  catfish  of  our  ponds  and 
streams  deposit  their  ova.  This  they  do 
in  tunnel-like  holes  in  the  mud,  as  long 
as  one's  arm,  having  a  chamber  at  the 
interior  end  in  which  the  glutinous  mass 
of  eggs  is  laid,  and  where  they  are  care- 
fully guarded  by  the  mother  for  a  month 
or  so,  until  they  hatch,  and  she  is  able  to 
lead  the  brood  forth  and  teach  them  the 
ways  of  their  world. 

Another  breeding-fish  of  this  season  is 


138  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

June  i8  the  gar-pike  of  our  rivers.     "  These  fish 

are  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  in  the 
nights  of  the  last  of  May  and  the  first  of 
June  they  approach  the  shallow  water  in 
large  numbers  for  the  purpose  of  laying 
their  eggs.  These  eggs  are  covered  with 
a  very  sticky  envelope  of  complicated 
structure,  which  immediately  adheres  to 
any  object  with  which  it  is  brought  in 
contact.  In  its  development  it  is  much 
like  the  bony  fishes.  When  it  hatches 
from  the  egg  it  has  a  very  large  mouth 
with  a  row  of  suckers  above.  By  the  aid 
of  these  it  attaches  itself  to  submerged 
stones.  Now  the  fins  begin  to  appear, 
and  in  the  space  of  two  or  three  weeks 
the  suckers  disappear,  and  the  young 
gar-pike  swims  freely." 

Salamanders  are  casting  their  skins, 
and  having  acquired  new  ones  are  leav- 
ing the  water  for  dry  land,  whenever  that 
is  their  habit. 

The  tortoises  are  laying  eggs.  "In 
a  swamp  near  my  home,"  notes  Dr. 
Mearns,  of  Highland  Falls,  N.  Y.,  refer- 
ring to  the  speckled  tortoise,  "on  June 
13,  1883,  I  found  a  nest  containing  three 
eggs,  which  were  white,  equally  rounded 
at  both  ends,  and  measured,  respective- 
ly, 1. 35  X. 70;  i,29x.68;  1. 31  X. 68  inches. 
The  eggs  were  placed  in  mossy  turf  on 
a  stone  in  a  bog.  A  small  shallow  ex- 
cavation had  been  made  by  the  parent, 
and  the  eggs  were  covered  after  oviposi- 
tion." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


The  snapping-turtle's  eggs  may  also  be  June  19 

found  at  this  time,  buried  in  soil,  often 
in  ploughed  fields;  and  those  of  the  spot- 
ted mud-turtle.  "  Seldom  seen  away  from 
the  water,"  notes  J.  A.  Allen,  "except 
when  about  to  lay  its  eggs,  which  I  have 
observed  it  doing  [in  western  Massachu- 
setts] during  the  second  and  third  weeks 
of  June." 

Thoreau  paid  a  great  deal  of  attention 
to  the  breeding-habits  of  the  tortoises  of 
New  England,  and  his  writings  contain 
very  full  and  interesting  descriptions  of 
their  methods  of  burrowing,  placing  and 
concealing  their  eggs.  He  gives  the  fol- 
lowing dates  for  Concord,  Mass.:  Painted 
turtle,  June  6th,  loth,  12th,  i8th;  box- 
tortoise,  June  6th,  i6th ;  striated,  or  scaled 
turtle,  June  nth,  12th;  snapping-turtle, 
June  7th;  and  remarks,  under  June  12th, 
"turtles  fairly  and  generally  begin  to 
lay  " ;  and  that  the  skunk  is  the  most  per- 
sistent of  their  enemies,  digging  up  and 
devouring  their  eggs  in  great  numbers. 

Lizards  are  breeding,  too.  The  pine- 
lizard  of  New  Jersey,  for  example,  is  said 
by  Abbott  to  lay  its  eggs  there  in  the 
first  week  of  this  month,  which  are  de- 
scribed as  long,  elliptical,  and  leathery  ; 
and  "deposited  in  conical  pits,  one  ^%^. 
the  lowermost,  being  in  the  bottom,  then 
three  above  it  and  four  in  the  third  tier." 
In  the  same  State  one  may  seek  for  the 
eggs  of  the  milk-snake,  searching  mossy 
tussocks  in  the  meadows  in  haying-time, 


,^0  NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


June  20  ^"^^   ^^^  those  of  the  hognose   and  the 

pine-snake.     Garter-snakes  are  shedding 

their  hides. 

Among  smaller  life,  now,  the  snails  are 
worthy  of  attention.  Their  method  of 
egg-laying  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  W.  G. 
Binney: 

"  In  the  course  of  the  months  of  May 
or  June,  earlier  or  later,  according  to  the 
localit)^  and  as  the  season  is  more  or  less 
warm,  they  begin  to  lay  their  eggs.  These 
are  deposited,  to  the  number  of  from 
thirty  to  fifty,  and  even  more,  in  the  moist 
and  light  mould,  sheltered  from  the  sun's 
rays  by  leaves,  or  at  the  side  of  logs  and 
stones,  without  any  order,  and  slightly 
agglutinated  together.  The  depth  of  the 
deposit  is  usually  measured  by  the  ex- 
treme length  of  the  animal,  which  thrusts 
its  head  and  body  into  the  soil  to  the 
utmost  extent,  while  the  shell  remains  at 
the  surface  ;  but  sometimes  the  animal 
burrows  three  or  four  inches  deep  before 
making  the  deposit,  in  order  to  insure  a 
sufficiently  moist  position.  Three  or  four 
such  deposits,  and  sometimes  more,  are 
made  by  one  animal  during  the  summer 
and  autumn.  The  embryo  animal,  with 
its  shell,  is  observable  in  the  albuminous 
fluid  in  a  few  days  after  the  eggs  are  laid. 
Its  exclusion  takes  place,  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  in  from  twenty  to  thirty 
days,  according  to  the  state  of  the  atmos- 
phere. .  .  .  The  hatching  of  eggs  laid 
late  in  the  autumn  is  often  interrupted 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


by  the  approach  of  cold  weather  and  of 
snow,  and  delayed  until  the  next  spring. 

In  the  salt  water  oysters  and  clams  be- 
gin spawning;  and  the  larval  young  of 
lobsters,  crabs,  and  many  lesser  Crustacea 
and  worms  crowd  the  surface  water, 
while  the  starfish  come  towards  the  shore 
to  breed,  and  grow  numerous  and  destruc- 
tive on  the  oyster-beds. 

Many  of  the  flowers  generally  accredit- 
ed to  June  begin  to  blossom  in  May,  such 
as  the  azaleas,  potentillas,  and  huckle- 
berries. Although  it  is  called  the  month 
of  roses,  and  though  many  of  that  faniily 
do  bloom  during  this  month,  such  as  the 
dog  roses,  the  delicate  yellow  flowers  of 
the  cinquefoil,  and  the  banks  of  snowy 
bloom  where  the  crinkled  white  flowers 
of  the  blackberries  conceal  their  wicked 
thorns,  still  June  is  peculiar  for  the  num- 
ber of  orders  of  plants  in  blossom. 

A  few  orchids,  arethusa,  for  instance, 
and  the  magnificent  white  and  purple 
lady's  slipper  can  be  found  ;  but  in  look- 
ing over  a  list  of  June  blooming  plants, 
the  number  of  flowers  with  wax-like 
petals  is  noticeable  ;  especially  are  there 
many  species  of  the  heather  tribe.  When 
the  odor  of  the  richly  scented  white 
azaleas  comes  floating  over  the  swamps, 
mingled  with  the  lemon-like  fragrance  of 
the  wild  grape,  and  one  discovers  the 
white  bells  of  pyrola,wintergreens,  and  the 
ghostly  Indian  pipe  growing  in  the  same 
bit  of  woodland,  and  then  goes  down  to 


142  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

June  22  the  pond  and  sees  the  lilies  floating  lazily 

in  the  black  water,  even  the  most  care- 
less loiterer  cannot  avoid  noticing  the 
waxiness  of  many  of  the  flowers. 

On  the  hills,  too,  he  finds  hedges 
whitened  with  masses  of  laurel  and  the 
closely  set  bells  of  the  huckleberries. 
The  graceful  tassels  of  milkweed,  pur- 
ple-tinted, droop  in  fence  corners;  and 
copses,  here  and  there,  are  covered  by 
the  trailing  vines  of  bittersweet,  studded 
with  small,  thick  flowers.  The  swamps 
are  gay  now  —  first  with  the  brilliant 
painted  cup,  then  with  blue  flags,  and 
later  wath  dainty  grass-pinks  and  adder's 
mouth.  But  go  where  you  will,  you  will 
find  flowers  underfoot  to  please  the  eye, 
as  overhead  the  woodland  music  every- 
where delights  the  ear. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  143 


CALENDAR    FOR    JUNE 

MAMMALS 

Young  of  most  mammals  out  and  wandering 
about  with  the  mother. 

Porcupines. — Common  near  ponds,  feeding 
on  aquatic  plants  at  night. 

Mice. — Preparing  for  second  broods. 

Flying  Squirrel. — The  northern  (var.  hud- 
sonitis)  form  is  breeding. 

Squirrels. — Males  separated  from  females 
and  their  suckling  young. 

/?^^^. —Bucks  retired  to  nurse  their  sprout- 
ing antlers. 

Pumas  and  Wild-cats. — Males  hunting  alone; 
females  teaching  kittens. 

BIRDS 

Second  broods  of  many  early  birds. 

Mourning  Dove. — Nests  second  week  ;  trees. 

Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.— ^^%X.'h  second  week  ; 
low  trees. 

Whippoorwill.—^^%\.%  first  week,  on  ground. 

Kingbird. — Nests  first  week  ;  orchard  trees. 

Great-crested  Flycatcher. — Nests  first  week  ; 
broken  stumps  and  tree- cavities. 

Wood  Pewee.  —  Nests  first  week  ;  orchard 
trees,  etc. 

Acadian  Flycatcher.— "^e%ts  first  week  ;  for- 
est trees. 

Least  Flycatcher,  or  Chebec.  —  Nests  first 
week  ;  bushes. 

Orchard  Oriole. — Nests  first  week  ;  orchard 
trees. 


June  23 


144  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

Tune  24  Goldfinch. — Nests  third  week  ;   bushes  and 

trees. 

Yellow-7vinged  Sparroiv. — Nests  first  week  ; 
on  ground. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. — Nests  first  week  ; 
trees. 

Indigo-bh'd. — Nests  first  week  ;  bushes. 

Scarlet  Tanager. — Nests  first  week  ;  trees. 

Rough-winged  Szuallotv. — Nests  first  week  ; 
holes  in  river-banks,  bridge-piers,  etc. 

Cedar  IVaxwing,  or  Cherry-bird. — Nests  late  ; 
orchards  and  cedar-trees. 

Warbling  Vireo. — Nests  first  week  ;  trees. 

Yellow-throated  Vireo. — Nests  first  week; 
trees, 

N'ashz'ille  Warbler. — Nests  first  week,  on  or 
near  the  ground. 

Golden-winged  Warbler. — Nests  second  week, 
on  the  ground  in  swampy  woods. 

Kentucky  Warbler. — Nests  second  week,  on 
the  ground  in  the  woods, 

Worm-eating  Warbler. — Nests  first  week,  on 
the  ground  in  the  woods. 

Blue-  winged  Yellow  Warbler. — Nests  first 
week,  on  the  ground  in  the  woods. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler. — Nests  first  week  ; 
bushes. 

Parula,  or  Blue  Yellow  •  backed  Warhler. — 
Nests  second  week,  in  hanging  moss  on  forest 
trees. 

Yello7u  Warbler,  or  Slimmer  Yello7u-bird. — 
Nests  first  week,  in  garden  bushes  and  road- 
side maples. 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. — Nests  (north- 
erly) first  week,  in  a  bush  close  to  the  ground. 

Ccerulean  Warbler. — Nests  second  week,  in 
the  fork  of  a  small  tree. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  ,45 

Prairie  Warbler. — Nests  first  week,  in  bushes  June  25 

and  low  trees. 

Louisiana,  or  Large -billed  IVaier  Thrush. 
— Nests  second  week,  on  the  ground  in  tlie 
woods. 

Redstart. — Nests  first  week;  orchard  trees. 

Marsh  IVrens.  —  Nests  second  week  ;  reeds. 

BATRACHIANS  AND    REPTILES 

Salamanders. — Are  casting  their  skins. 

Tadpoles  of  all  the  smaller  Frogs. — Complete 
their  transformation  and  begin  to  come  ashore. 

Toads. — Young,  very  dark  in  color,  begin  to 
be  seen  in  gardens,  etc. 

Frogs. — Generally  cease  their  crying. 

Bull-frogs. — Are  spawning. 

Milk-snake. — Laying  eggs  in  meadow- tus- 
socks. 

Pine  Lizard. — Laying  its  eggs  in  the  ground. 

Painted  Turtle. — Lays  its  eggs  in  loose  soil. 

Speckled  Tortoise. — Lays  its  eggs  in  swamps. 

Box  Tortoise,  or  Striated  Turtle. — Breeding. 

Snapping-turtle. — Laying  eggs  in  dry  soil. 

FISHES 

Sturgeons. — Ascending  the  rivers. 

Garpike. — Breeding  in  lakes  and  rivers. 

Bull-pouts. — Hiding  ova  in  holes  and  secret 
places. 

Sand-smelts. — Spawning  in  the  eel-grass. 

Pickerel. — Spawning  in  grassy  shallows  of 
ponds. 

Spanish  Mackerel.  —  Appear  on  northern 
coast. 

Swordfish. — Arrive  early  in  the  month, 

Sheepshead. — Arrive  in  coast  bays. 


146  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

Tune  26  Scup. — Spawning  in  the  eel-grass. 

Perch  and  their  Kin.  —  Breeding  in    fresh 

waters. 

Rock  Bass. — Surf -fishing  begins. 

Tautog. — Spawning  along  rocky  shores. 

Cunners. — Begin  spawning  in  shallow  waters, 
on  their  feeding-grounds. 

Oysters  and  Claris. — Begin  to  spawn. 

Squids. — Begin  to  hatch  from  the  eggs. 

Soft-shelled  Crabs. — Come  to  market. 

INSECTS 

Yellow -Jackets.,  Hornets,  and  Bnnvn  Wasps. 
— Workers  appear  ;  assist  in  feeding  young,  en- 
larging nests,  and  similar  duties. 

Btimble-bees. — Workers  appear,  and  largely 
relieve  the  queen  of  the  care  of  the  young  and 
the  provisioning  of  the  nests. 

Mud  -  wasps  and  Digger  Wasps.  —  Many 
species  on  the  wing,  visiting  sorrel  and  other 
blossoms. 

Ants. — Abundant  everywhere  ;  formicaries 
in  full  activity ;  rearing  young,  collecting  food, 
enlarging  nests,  and  caring  for  aphides,  con- 
tinuing these  activities  throughout  the  summer. 

Ichneuvion-Jlies.  —  Many  species  and  individ- 
uals in  fields  and  woods  everywhere,  searching 
for  victims  in  which  to  lay  eggs ;  visiting  many 
sorts  of  flowers  to  sip  the  nectar. 

Currant  Worms.  —  Larvaj  mature  and  go  to 
ground,  where,  under  such  shelter  as  they  may 
find,  they  spin  tough  oval  cocoons. 

Tiger  Beetles. — Adults  abundant  in  sandy 
places  and  along  roadsides ;  larvae  in  burrows 
in  gardens  and  foot  paths. 

Ground   Beetles. — Adults    of    many  species 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  147 


abundant    under  boards    in   moist  places,  and  June  27 

wandering  over  surface  of  ground  ;  continuing 
to  be  found  throughout  the  summer. 

Whirligig  Beetles. — Adults  common  on  sur- 
face of  ponds  and  pools;  continue  so  for  the 
rest  of  the  season. 

Ladybird  Beetles. — Adults  and  larvae  com- 
mon on  trees  and  other  plants  ;  larvae  oftenest 
found  among  colonies  of  aphides. 

Click  Beetles. — Adults  abundant,  freely  visit- 
ing many  shallow  flowers,  like  raspberry,  feed- 
ing on  the  nectar. 

Buprestid  Beetles.  —  Adults  flying  in  sun- 
shine on  hot  days  ;  continuing  through  July 
and  more  or  less  of  August. 

Checkered  Beetles  (Cleridge). — Adults  visiting 
wild  roses  and  other  flowers  to  feed  upon  the 
pollen. 

May  Bettles,  or  ''June  Biigs.'' — Adults  still 
present,  laying  eggs  about  the  roots  of  grasses. 

Goldsmith  Beetle. — Adults  occasionally  to  be 
found ;  flying  at  night. 

Rose  Chafers, — Abundant,  eating  petals  of 
wild  rose  as  well  as  many  other  flowers. 

Long-horned  Beetles. — Adults  of  some  species 
develop  from  pupae. 

Leaf  Beetles. — Larvae  of  many  species  eating 
leaves  of  various  plants. 

Crane  Flies.  — Adults  more  common  than  in 
May, 

House  Flies. — Increase  in  numbers  ;  continue 
breeding  in  refuse-piles. 

Robber  Flies. — Adults  flying  in  fields  and 
along  roadsides. 

^ifd'-y^ifj-.— Commonly  visiting  many  flowers. 
Syrphid-fl'es. — Adults  of  many  species  abun- 
dant about  flowers. 


148  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

June  28  The  Monarch  Butterfly. — Adults  flying.prob- 

ably  migrating  northward. 

Regal  Fritillary,  or  Idalia  Butterfly. — Lar- 
vae developing  on  violet  leaves  and  changing  to 
chrysalids. 

Great-spangled  Fritillary,  or  Cybele  Butter- 
fly.— Adults  come  from  chrysalids  during  latter 
part  of  the  month. 

Mountain  Silver  Spot,  or  Atlantis  Butterfly. 
— Adults  appear,  especially  in  latter  part  of 
the  month,  fresh  from  the  chrysalis. 

The  Baltimore,  orPhceton  Butterfly. — Adults 
come  from  chrysalids ;  to  be  found  only  locally 
and  in  swamps;  remain  on  the  wing  a  month. 

Violet-tip  Butterfly.  —  Caterpillars  develop- 
ing ;  feeding  on  foliage  of  hop  and  elm. 

Gray  Comma,  or  Progne  Butterfly. — Larvae 
develop  upon  currant  and  wild  gooseberry 
plants,  and  change  to  chrysalids. 

Hop  Merchant,  or  Comma  Butterfly. — Cater- 
pillars feeding  on  leaves  of  hop  and  elm, 
changing  to  chrysalids  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  month. 

Red  Admiral  Butterfly.  —  Larvae  feeding  in 
folded  nettle  leaves. 

Painted  Beauty  Butterfly. — Butterflies  on  the 
wing,  ovipositing  on  everlasting  {Gnaphalium). 

Red-spotted  Purple  Butterfly.  —  Adults  ap- 
pear, becoming  more  abundant  towards  the  end 
of  the  month. 

The  Viceroy  Butterfly. — Adults  emerge  from 
chrysalids  and  fly  over  fields  and  along  road- 
sides. 

Imported  Cabbage  Butterfly,  —  Adults  still 
flying  ;  larvae  feeding  on  cabbage  leaves. 

Tiger  Siuallowtail. — Adults  come  from  hi- 
bernating chrysalids,  visiting  flowers  of  clover 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  i^g 


and  other  plants,  and  ovipositing  on  leaves  of  Tune 

birch,  poplar,  and  other  trees. 

Black  Swallowtail,  or  Asterias  Butterfly. — 
Adults  flying  over  fields  and  gardens,  oviposit- 
ing on  carrots,  parsnips,  and  other  members  of 
the  parsley  family. 

Green-clouded  Swallo7vtail. — Butterflies  con- 
tinue on  the  wing ;  females  oviposit  upon 
leaves  of  spice-bush  and  sassafras. 

Tent  Caterpillar.  —  Larvae  mature  and  spin 
cocoons. 

Cecropia,  Luna,  Proviethea,  and  Polyphemus 
Moths. — Adults  come  from  cocoons  and  lay- 
eggs  upon  various  trees. 

Humming-bird  Moths  (Hemaris). — Adults 
fly  in  bright  sunshine,  visiting  Iris  and  other 
blossoms. 

Sphinx  Aloths. — Adults  of  many  species  ap- 
pear. 

Cutworm  Moths. — Adults  of  many  species 
appear,  flying  to  light  at  night. 

Canker-worms.  —  Larvae  mature  and  go  into 
soil  to  pupate. 

Cheny  Tent-maker.  —  Larvae  pupate  in  a 
mass  at  centre  of  tent ;  later  pupae  work  their 
way  out  to  edge  of  tents  to  disclose  the 
ochre-yellow  moths. 

Leaf-miners.  —  Larvae  of  many  species  de- 
veloping in  leaves. 

Caddis-flies. — Adults  of  some  species  appear. 

Hellgrammites.  —  Pupae  under  logs  mature 
into  adults. 

Tree-hoppers . — Young  developing  on  various 
plants. 

Leaf -hoppers. — New  brood  of  adults. 

Scale  Insects. — Young  fi.\  themselves  on  leaf 
or  bark  and  suck  the  sap  of  the  food-plant. 


15" 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


June  30 


Plant-lice,  or  Aphides. — Continue  to  multi- 
ply rapidly  ;  many  species  migrate  from  trees 
to  herbaceous  plants. 

Common  Locusts. — Young  develop  gradually, 
feeding  upon  grasses  and  clovers. 

Katydids.  —  Young  wandering  over  various 
plants,  sometimes  eating  petals  of  wild  rose. 

Tree  Crickets.  — Young  wander  over  branches, 
searching  for  aphides,  upon  which  they  feed. 

Black  Crickets. — Young  become  common  in 
shelter  of  grass  and  grain. 

Dragoji-Jlies.  —  Adults  of  many  species  on 
the  wing,  especially  near  ponds. 

May-Jiies. — Adults  abundant,  especially  early 
in  the  month. 


JULY 


The  earth  is  warm  again,  the  air  is  filled  with  od^^-s. 
The  lanes  lined  with  gay  flowers,  which  nod  and  bend 
To  every  passing  breeze." 


T^W? 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR  153 


JULY 

It  is    by  no  means   easy  to  separate  juiy  i 

July  from  August  in  such  a  series  as  this 
and  say  this  feature  belongs  to  this  month 
and  that  one  to  that.  Midsummer  brings 
us  to  a  certain  pause  in  the  progress  of 
the  year— not  to  the  full  stop  of  mid- 
winter, but  to  a  time  when  nature  is 
growing  and  waits  for  results.  Therefore 
I  can  treat  midsummer  much  as  I  did 
midwinter,  as  a  period,  considering  July 
and  August  together,  but  under  two  as- 
pects, first  inland  and  second  at  the  sea- 
shore, whither  many  of  my  readers  doubt- 
less will  betake  themselves  during  the 
long  vacation. 

By  the  time  July  is  well  started  the 
rains  have  ceased,  the  woods  are  deep  in 
the  shadow  of  completed  leafage  and 
growing  twigs,  the  soil  is  dry  and  is 
throwingout  an  increasing  crop  of  curious 
agarics,  and  walking  in  the  dusty  roads 
or  open  uplands  is  unpleasant.  Naturally 
enough,  then,  we  turn  in  our  rambles 
towards  the  watercourses  and  seek  to 
read  the  "books  in  the  running  brooks." 

"The  shimmering  fields,  where  haying 
has  begun,  no  longer  resound  to  the 
merry  music  of  the  bobolink,  meadow- 


154  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

July  2  lark,  and  sparrow  ;  the  heated  woods  are 

silent,  and  we  say  that  the  birds  are  too 
languid  to  sing  in  this  close  and  torrid 
air.  That  is  partly  true,  no  doubt,  but 
the  main  reason  for  the  silence  of  this 
noontime  of  the  year  is  that  the  season 
of  nesting  is  done  with,  the  musicians  no 
longer  are  inspired  by  the  eagerness  of 
courtship,  but  are  away  by  themselves  in 
selfish  freedom,  or  else  are  busy  in  help- 
ing the  little  mothers  to  guide  and  guard 
the  young. 

By  August  the  singing  of  birds  has 
almost  altogether  ceased,  and  we  hear 
only  in  the  early  morning  or  at  evening 
feeble  reminders  of  the  brilliant  notes  of 
May  and  June.  Excepting  the  friends 
that  trustfully  inhabit  our  gardens,  we 
see  few  birds  unless  we  loiter  by  shady 
brooks,  while  the  mammals — always  shy 
of  exhibiting  themselves — keep  more  out 
of  sight  now  than  ever,  save  such  familiar 
ones  as  the  warmth -loving  woodchucks 
and  squirrels  of  the  East,  and  the  always 
lively  gophers  and  ground  squirrels  of 
the  West.  Let  us  not  forget,  however, 
that  on  moonlit  nights,  as  harvest-time 
approaches  and  the  evening  chiming  of 
the  veery  fades  from  our  reluctant  ears, 
the  raccoons,  muskrats,  and  big  squirrels 
by  twos  and  threes  are  slyly  studying 
the  progress  of  the  cornfields,  and  pres- 
ently are  fattening  on  the  milky  ears. 
This    hot,    dry,   sunny    weather,    how- 

. ever,  is  the   heyday  of   insect    life.     Lie 


Julys 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  155 

down   in   the  long  grass  some  time  and  July  4 

note  how  many  minute-winged  and  creep- 
ing  creatures  you  can  find  in  five  minutes. 
Search  the  rough  bark  of  an  old  tree  and 
catalogue  the  small  life  it  harbors.  Ob- 
serve as  summer  advances  how  active 
and  industrious  are  the  ants,  and  how 
everywhere  the  spiders  are  embroidering 
their  silken  lace  upon  the  grasses  and 
leaves  and  old  woodwork.  And  wher- 
ever you  go,  along  the  dusty  highway, 
across  the  meadows,  about  the  garden  or 
through  the  woods,  how  an  almost  innu- 
merable company  of  butterflies  dance  be- 
fore your  steps  or  rise  and  dip  and  cur- 
vette  in  the  bright  air  about  your  head, 
while  at  night  the  moths  flock  to  your 
lighted  windows,  equally  delicate  but  less 
gay  of  hue,  as  befits  a  being  whose  life  is 
mainly  passed  in  darkness. 

Butterflies  are  the  characteristic  of 
midsummer  : 

.   .   .    "pretty  genii  of  the  flow'rs, 
Daintily  fed  with  honey  and  pure  dew." 

That  is  nearer  the  truth  than  the  poets 
sometimes  get  in  their  zoology,  for  the 
butterflies  feed  only  by  pumping  up  the 
honeyed  moisture  held  in  the  cups  of  the 
flowers,  or  by  the  juices  from  various  rot- 
ting substances  upon  which  some  of  the 
less  dainty  of  them  feed.  Most  of  them 
have  but  a  brief  summer  of  life,  seeking 
with  an  inborn  knowledge  that  is  one  of      . 


Julys 


156  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

July  6  the  most  wonderful  examples  of  real  in- 

-  stinct  (a  much-abused  word)  the  proper 

plant  upon  which  to  deposit  their  eggs — 
proper  because  that  plant  alone  will  fur- 
nish the  right  nourishment  for  the  cater- 
pillar that  later,  after  these  butterflies 
are  dead,  will  hatch  out  of  their  eggs  and 
begin  to  feed. 

No  summer  study  is  more  delightful 
than  that  of  these  "  emblems  of  the  soul," 
whose  forms  and  colors  and  attitudes  are 
alike  lovely;  and  if  you  are  in  possession 
of  such  a  guide  as  the  admirable  books 
of  Mr.  Samuel  E.  Scudder,  or  of  Mr.  W. 
J.  Holland,  w^hose  colored  plates  enable 
you  to  identify  any  species  likely  to  be 
met  with  in  your  rambles,  you  have  the 
means  of  great  happiness  in  your  hands. 
Unlike  the  comparatively  duU-hued 
butterflies  of  early  spring,  those  of  sum- 
mer are  gay  in  raiment.  This  seasonal 
conformity  between  the  butterflies  and 
their  surroundings  has  been  worked  out 
in  a  discerning  and  interesting  manner 
by  Mr.  Scudder  as  follows  : 

"  I  do  not  know  that  any  of  our  natu- 
ralists or  artists  have  written  of  the  har- 
mony between  the  prevailing  tints  of  a 
New  England  landscape  at  different  times 
of  the  year  and  of  the  insect  world  at  the 
same  seasons.  Our  common  butterflies, 
which  nature  has  been  at  such  pains  to 
adorn,  show  a  shifting  panorama  of  form 
and  color  from  early  spring  to  the  time 

of  frost. 

July  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


"  First,  in  the  sombre,  leafless  woods, 
come  the  various  dusky  wings,  brown 
and  black,  tripping  softly  in  and  out 
among  the  gray  rocks  and  over  the  dry 
fields  and  dark  pools  of  melting  snow,  or 
sunning  themselves  on  dry  sticks  athwart 
the  sun.  Hard  upon  these,  in  the  time 
of  early  violets  and  hepaticas,  and  fre- 
quenting the  spots  loved  by  them,  follow 
the  little  blue  butterflies  scarce  larger 
than  the  flowers.  Then,  as  spring  fairly 
bursts  upon  us  with  its  fresh  and  varied 
hues,  come  crowds  of  queenly  swallow- 
tails, lustrous  with  metallic  gleam,  or 
striped  and  belted  with  gay  colors,  and 
the  banded  and  spotted  purples  that 
court  the  quiet  forest  road  and  the  brink 
of  the  mountain  brook  ;  the  soft,  white 
butterflies,  that  look  too  pure  for  earth, 
less  retiring  than  the  last,  float  about  our 
gardens,  alas!  on  sad  intent,  while  the 
brisk  little  tawny  and  black  skippers 
everywhere  bustle  and  whisk  about, 

"  Summer,  with  blazingsun  and  diversi- 
fied blossoms,  brings  us  the  hot-looking 
coppers,  and  all  that  dappled  band  of  fri- 
tillaries  and  angle  wings,  blocked  in  red 
and  black  above,  and  often  variegated  by 
odd  dashes  and  spots  of  burnished  silver, 
or  by  peacock  eyes  beneath.  How  they 
crowd  about  the  thistle,  spreading  thistle 
blossoms,  or  on  the  many-flowered  um- 
bels of  the  milkweed,  and  fan  themselves 
with  content  at  their  sweet  lot !" 

The  roadsides  are  yellow  with  mullein 


I5S 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Tyjy  iQ  and  foxglove  as  we  take  our  way  down 

to  the  creek,  in  whose   pools  the  white 

lilies  are  now  in  bloom,  floating  un- 
harmed, the  perfection  of  purity,  upon 
the  dark  water.  As  we  sit  quietly  down 
upon  the  bank  our  ears  are  filled  with 
that  hum  of  insect  life  which  is  the  voice 
of  midsummer,  and  a  pair  of  syrphus-flies 
poise  on  invisible  wings  just  before  our 
eyes,  gleaming  as  if  truly  made  of  pol- 
ished gold  ;  and  look  at  that  gem  hover- 
ing over  the  snowy  lilies — a  humming- 
bird that  whirrs  from  flower  to  flower, 
picking  out  of  their  waxen  chalices  the 
minute  morsels  of  his  insect  fare. 

What  beauty  rises  from  the  dark  mud 
of  this  weedy  pool — rosy  lilies,  the  danc- 
ing snowflakes  of  the  water  ranunculus, 
heart  leaf,  yellow  cups  of  other  lilies  and 
buttercups,  the  rich  violet  purple  of  the 
water  hyacinth,  or  pontederia,  and  along- 
shore, prince  of  all  the  pond -side,  the 
tall,  scarlet  spikes  of  the  cardinal  flower. 
Here  and  there  over  the  smooth  surface 
dart  and  glide  the  skaters,  and,  over  all, 
zigzag  innumerable  dragon-flies,  throw- 
ing metallic  reflections,  blue,  red,  green, 
and  bronze  from  their  burnished  armor 
and  gauzy  wings. 

Creeping  about  among  the  floating 
leaves  and  slimy  weeds  are  several  sorts 
of  delicate  spiral  snails,  the  limneids,  and 
others  made  in  a  flat  coil,  the  planorbids, 
which  are  easily  gathered,  and  whose 
shells,  after  the  animals  have  been  boiled 

July  II 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  ,5^, 


out,  make  very  pretty  objects  for  a  cabi-  lyj    j^ 

net,  for  they  exist   in  great  variety  and  

witii  elegant  markings.  These,  living  in 
still  waters,  are  very  fragile,  but  in  rapid 
streams,  especially  of  the  southern  AUe- 
ghenian  region,  where  limestone  rocks  are 
common,  may  be  gathered  scores  of  differ- 
ent kinds  of  spiral  snails,  called  melanians, 
which  are  thick- shelled,  and  often  most 
curiously  knobbed  and  sculptured.  All  are 
vegetable  feeders,  rasping  off  the  surfaces 
of  plants  for  food,  and  cleaning  the  stones 
of  the  minute  green  "  moss  "  which  gathers 
upon  them  where  the  current  is  not  too 
swift ;  and  they  are  in  their  turn  eaten  by 
fishes,  turtles,  and  water-birds,  though 
some  of  the  angular  melanians  must  be 
pretty  hard  either  to  crush  or  swallow. 

Though  these  live  in  the  water  they 
breathe  air,  and  have  a  lung-like  arrange- 
ment similar  to  that  of  the  land  snails. 
These  latter  are  hard  to  find  during  the 
dry,  hot,  midsummer  weather,  because 
this  affects  them  almost  as  much  as  does 
the  cold  of  January,  causing  them  to  hide 
in  some  damp  and  shady  retreat,  and  go 
into  a  sort  of  drought  torpor,  called  aesti- 
vation. To  effect  this  they  form  a  drum- 
head of  hardened  slime  across  the  open- 
ing of  the  shell,  just  as  we  saw  them 
doing  in  hibernation,  and  remain  quiet 
until  autumn,  except  when  a  long  rain 
irwduces  them  to  venture  forth. 

Another  sort  of  mollusk,  represented 
by  very  few  species   north  of    Pennsyl- 


July  13 


i6o  NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


July  i^  vania,  but  found   in   great  variety   in  all 

southern  and  western  waters,  is  the  river 
mussel.  These  are  bivalves— real  fresh- 
water clams — and  they  breathe,  like  the 
fishes,  by  means  of  the  curtain-like  gills 
hanging  just  beneath  the  two  halves  of 
the  shell.  Some  are  no  larger  than  half 
a  dollar,  wdiile  others  grow  to  the  size  of 
a  big  man's  palm;  some  are  thin,  light, 
and  flattened,  others  heavy,  robust,  and 
almost  globular ;  a  few  show  curved  or 
radiating  colors  on  a  smooth,  shining  sur- 
face ;  more  are  dark  and  scaly,  while 
many  are  ornamented  with  ridges,  or 
knobs,  or  both,  and  nearly  all  have  a 
lovely  mother-of-pearl  interior,  where 
valuable  pearls  are  often  formed.  These 
mollusks  stand  on  the  blade  edge  of  their 
wedge-like  forms,  half-buried  in  the  sand 
(for  they  do  not  like  real  mud),  and  move 
slowly  about,  leaving  tracks  like  sinuous 
furrows,  by  reaching  out  a  muscular 
"  foot,"  gripping  the  ground,  and  drag- 
ging the  body  forward.  They  suck  in  a 
constant  stream  of  w^ater,  which  brings 
to  their  digestive  organs  minute  particles 
of  floating  food,  animalcules,  plant  spores, 
etc.,  and  at  the  same  time  furnishes  oxy- 
gen to  the  blood  circulating  through 
the  gills.  A  cabinet  of  their  shells  is 
well  worth  having;  and  ready-made  col- 
lections may  often  be  found  where  musk- 
rats  and  raccoons  are  common,  for  both 
these  animals  delight  to  eat  their  flesh 
and  leave  the  shells  on  the  bank. 


July  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  ,ti 


The  early  days  of  July  are  an  excellent  jyj^  jg 

time  to  study  the   fresh-water  fishes,  es-  

pecially  the  little  fellows  that  belong  to 
the  brooks  and  mill-ponds — minnows, 
shiners,  sunfish,  perch,  bull-heads,  and  the 
like.  Of  these  the  "  pumpkin  seeds,"  or 
sunfish,  are  more  or  less  known  to  every 
fishing  school-boy,  and  he  will  tell  you 
that  they  are  sharp-witted  and  lively,  feed 
on  insects  and  worms,  and  build  nests. 

"  To  see  our  common  sunfish  at  their 
best,"  writes  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  "  it  is 
necessary  to  hunt  up  their  nests  in  May. 
.  .  .  One  of  the  'sights'  of  this  time,  if 
we  direct  our- steps  to  the  creek,  is  the 
row  of  sunfish  nests  along  the  shore. 
These  fish  at  that  time  have  a  horror  of 
dirt,  and  every  speck  other  than  fine, 
clean  sand  is  carefully  removed  from  the 
shallow  circular  depressions  which  con- 
stitute their  nests.  ...  In  these  nests 
both  fishes  will  often  be,  and  yet  scarcely 
recognizable  from  above.  All  the  gor- 
geous coloring  is  confined  to  their  sides 
and  bellies;  the  back,  being  a  dull  green, 
blends  well  with  the  surroundings  and 
the  color  of  the  water.  .  .  .  The  nests  are 
usually  occupied  for  the  space  of  four 
weeks,  when  the  parent  fishes  relinquish 
their  care  and  leave  the  young  sunnies, 
now  more  like  flakes  of  jelly  than  bony 
fishes,  to  shift  for  themselves." 

Some  of  the  smaller  ones  are  darters 
— diasky  fingerlings  that  rest  motionless 
on  the  sand.     If  anything  startles  them      


July  17 


i62  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


j^i     jg  they  scramble  out  of  sight  beneath  some 

flat  stone  with  astonishing  quickness.  The 

sand  perch  is  the  one  best  known.  Close- 
ly resembling  the  bottom  on  which  they 
rest  upon  leg-like  fins,  the  darters  wait 
till  something  good  to  eat  comes  within 
reach,  when  they  catch  it  by  a  queer  wrig- 
gling leap.  Two  or  three  strokes  are  all 
they  can  do  at  a  time  in  the  way  of  swim- 
ming. They  are  great  egg-thiefs,  and  the 
perch  is  an  especial  sufferer  from  them. 

The  various  perches  are  found  every- 
where, and  are  among  the  most  active 
and  interesting  fishes  for  an  aquarium, 
where  alone  the  habits  of  these  small 
fishes  can  be  studied  to  advantage. 
"  Climbing  weeds,  burrowing  in  the  sand, 
perched  on  stones,  or  cracking  the  shell 
of  some  unlucky  snail  against  the  glass 
side  of  their  prison,  they  seem  possessed 
of  more  than  fishy  knowledge." 

These  perches  and  their  relatives,  such 
as  the  rock  or  striped  bass,  are  like  the 
weasels  on  shore  in  their  fierce  pursuit 
of  the  smaller  fishes  that  form  their  sub- 
sistence. Those  that  suffer  most  are  the 
minnows,  or  cyprinoids,  which  are  eaters 
of  minute  crustaceans,  insects,  snails,  etc., 
together  wMth  much  plant  food,  and  are  of 
social  habits.  Many  of  them  are  exceed- 
ingly pretty,  especially  in  spring,  when 
their  silvery  scales  often  glow  with  brill- 
iant tints.  To  this  family  belong  the  dace, 
the  chubs,  and  in  fact  the  greater  number 
of  the  "shiners  "  of  our  brooks  and  ditches, 

Julyi9 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  163 

Some  of  them  make  beds  in  the  sand  j^l    ^o 

of  clear  streams,  or  even  regular  nests 
of  pebbles  in  which  to  deposit  their  eggs, 
and  they  stay  by  them  and  watch  them 
against  danger  as  well  as  they  can.  I 
think  none,  however,  care  so  much  for 
their  young  as  do  those  very  different, 
ugly,  worm-eating,  mud-loving  fishes  the 
horned  pouts,  or  bull-heads,  which  now 
keep  their  little  ones  in  a  close  flock,  the 
mother  swimming  round  and  round  them 
to  guard  them  from  harm,  and  betray- 
ing the  greatest  anxiety  when  anything 
threatens  the  peace  of  her  young. 

Several  sea-fishes  postpone  their  spawn- 
ing until  this  month.  Such  are  the 
Spanish  mackerel,  which  arrive  from  the 
South  and  begin  spawning  in  the  open 
bays,  while  the  sea-bass  resort  to  the  eel- 
grass.  The  goose-fish  now  spawns,  void- 
ing its  eggs  in  the  form  of  broad  floating 
ribbons.  The  sea -robins,  gurnards,  and 
sculpins  are  also  spawning,  and  the  queer 
pipe-fishes  in  the  eel-grass.  The  kingfish 
and  harvest-fish  are  added  to  the  market 
list,  and  the  netting  of  sturgeon  begins  in 
the  Hudson.  Crabs  are  shedding  their 
coats,  and  the  toothsome  "  soft-shell '-'  is  a 
dainty  of  the  season  ;  while  the  surface  of 
inshore  waters  is  alive  with  its  larvae. 

Marine  life  is  now  abundant  and  active. 
Jelly-fish  are  beginning  to  grow  numer- 
ous, annelids  are  laying  eggs,  and  the 
planarians  attaching  theirs  in  large  white 
clusters  to  submerged   rocks  and  wood- ._ 

July  21 


i64  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

July  22  work,  among  the  crowding  ascidians  and 

hydroids.  Oysters  and  clams  are  spawning 
vigorously,  and  the  starfish  leaving  their 
beds  for  deep  water  ;  while  the  squids  are 
spreading  now,  on  gravelly  or  shelly  bot- 
toms, "  eggs  contained  in  large  bunches  or 
groups  of  long  gelatinous  capsules." 

In  July  are  produced  the  young  of 
several  snakes  and  lizards,  those  of  the 
pine-tree  lizard  regularly  appearing  in 
southern  New  Jersey  during  the  second 
week  of  the  month.  Eggs  of  the  hog- 
nose,  the  pine-snake,  and  the  milk-snake 
may  also  be  found  now ;  and  it  appears 
probable  that  the  black-snake  lays  its  eggs 
this  month,  burying  them  in  rotting  veg- 
etation, barn -yard  manure,  and  similar 
warm  places.  Of  this,  however,  nobody 
is  yet  certain,  for  "when  the  sexes  [of 
Bascanio7i  constrictor]  unite,  when  the 
eggs  are  laid,  how  concealed,  and  when 
they  hatch  are,"  says  Mr.  O.  P.  Hay,  of 
the  National  Museum,  "some  of  the 
things  we  need  to  learn."  It  is  stated 
of  this  serpent's  near  relative,  the  red- 
headed, or  mountain  black-snake  (^///(^^r 
obsolettcs),  that  near  Washington  it  lays 
its  eggs  in  April  (once,  at  least,  in  a 
hollow  stump),  and  that  they  hatch  the 
same  month.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
month  young  garter  snakes  may  some- 
times be  found  in  northerly  places,  and 
now  and  then  an  infant  water-snake,  but 
as  a   rule  the  birth  of  these  is  delayed 

until  September. 

July  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  165 

July  24 


CALENDAR  FOR  JULY 

MAMMALS 
Second   broods  of   various   small   rodents — 
hares,  squirrels,  and  mice. 

BIRDS 

Bay-birds. — Begin  to  arrive  from  North. 
Tree    Stvalloivs.  —  Begin    flocking    on    the 
marshes,  preparatory  to  migration. 

Cedar-bird. — Laying  eggs  in  orchard  nest. 
Goldfinch. — Often  now  laying  first  eggs. 
Second  broods  of  various  species. 

BATRACHIANS   AND    REPTILES 

Pine-tree  Lizard. — Eggs  hatching  last  fort- 
night. 

Hognose  Snakes  (Heterodon). — Eggs  laid. 

Fine-snake. — Eggs  laid,  in  dry  earth. 

Milk-snake. — Eggs  laid,  in  rotting  vegeta- 
tion, etc. 

Black-snake. — Eggs  probably  laid  now,  in 
decaying  stumps,  etc. 

Garter- snakes. — Young  begin  to  appear. 

FISHES 

Goose-fish. — Spawning  in  the  open  sea. 
Spanish  Mackerel.  — Arrive    and  spawn   in 
bays. 

Sea-bass. — Begin  spawning  in  the  eel-grass. 
Sculpins,  Sea-robins,  etc. — Are  spawning. 
Toad-fish. — Young  begin  to  appear  late. 
Pipe-fishes. — Spawning  in  the  eel-grass. 


July  25 


i66  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

July  26  INSECTS 

Hornets  and  Wasps. — Colonies  increasing 
rapidly  in  numbers  ;  workers  caring  for  young 
and  enlarging  nests  ;  visiting  colonies  of  aphides 
for  "  honey-dew,"  and  flowers  for  nectar,  or  to 
catch  insects. 

Bumble-bees. — Workers,  large  and  small, 
abundant ;  visiting  blossoms  of  raspberry,  par- 
tridge-berry, and  many  other  plants. 

Leaf-ciittei'  Bees  (Megachile). — Common;  vis- 
iting self-heal  and  many  other  flowers  ;  cutting 
out  pieces  of  leaf-blades  of  various  plants  for 
use  in  making  nests  for  young. 

Mud-wasps. — Many  species  at  work;  visiting 
flowers  of  parsnip  and  other  plants ;  making 
cells  and  storing  them  with  spiders,  grasshop- 
pers, etc. ,  as  food  for  the  young, 

Etwienes. — These  and  other  mason-wasps 
visiting  blossoms  of  sumach  and  other  flowers  ; 
constructing  their  mud-cells  and  provisioning 
them  with  caterpillars  and  other  insects. 

Ic/memnon-Jlies. — Many  species,  large  and 
small,  visiting  blossoms  of  wild  parsnip,  fire- 
weed,  and  many  other  flowers  to  sip  nectar  ; 
searching  foliage  and  branches  for  caterpillars 
in  which  to  deposit  eggs. 

Currant  Worms.  —  Some  pupoe  mature  into 
saw-flies  that  lay  eggs  for  a  second  brood. 

Tiger  Beetles.  —  Adults  of  various  species 
abundant  in  sandy  places,  along  beaches,  in 
barren  fields,  along  paths  and  roadsides  ;  con- 
tinue through  August. 

Ladybird  Beetles. — Increasingly  abundant  ; 
larvfE,  pupae,  and  adults  all  to  be  found  in  suit- 
able localities. 

Click  Beetles.— \^yx\\.%  to  be  found  about 
flowers,  and  larvae  (wire- worms)  in  the  soil. 

July  27 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  Uq 

Red  Milk-Tveed  Beetles. — Abundant  on  milk-  July  28 

weed. 

Long-horned  Beetles. — Adults  often  seen. 

Leaf  Beetles. — In  double-brooded  species  ; 
adults  of  new  brood  appear. 

Green  Dogbane  Beetle. — Abundant  on  dog- 
bane. 

House  Flies. — Increasing  in  abundance  be- 
cause of  the  new  broods  constantly  developing, 
continuing  to  increase  through  August. 

Robber  Flies. — More  abundant  than  in  June; 
continuing  through  August. 

Syrphid  Flies.  —  Adults  abundant  about 
bright  flowers  ;  larvae  among  colonies  of  aph- 
ides. 

Monarch  Butterfly.  —  Larvae  feeding  on 
leaves  of  milk-weed. 

Regal  Fritillary ,  orldalia  Butterfly. — Adults 
emerge  from  chrysalids,  the  males  only  being 
found  at  first. 

Great-spangled  Fritillary,  or  Cybele  Butterfly. 
— Adults  abundant  on  milk-weed,  dogbane,  and 
other  blossoms,  continuing  on  the  wing  through 
August. 

Silver-spot  Fritillary,  or  Aphrodite  Butterfly. 
— Adults  emerge  from  chrysalids. 

Mountain  Silver-spot,  or  Atlantis  Butterfly. 
— Adults  abundant,  being  found  especially  on 
blossoms  of  dogbane  and  milk-weed. 

Baltimore,  or  Phcvton  Butterfly. — Eggs  laid 
on  Chelone  and  other  plants,  and  not  hatching 
for  about  three  weeks. 

Violet-tip  Butterfly. — Adults  of  the  first  brood 
of  the  season  appear  and  lay  eggs  for  a  second 
brood. 

Gray  Covwia,  or  Progne  Butterfly. — Adults 
of  new  brood  come  from  chrysalis  and  continue 

July  29 


i6S  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

July  30  on  wing  a  month,  ovipositing  during  latter  half 

of  this  time. 

Hop  Merchant,  or  Comma  Butterfly. — Adults 
of  new  brood  come  from  chrysalids  and  lay 
eggs  during  latter  part  of  month. 

Compton  Tortoise  Butterjly  {]-a.lh\im). — But- 
terflies flying  in  open  woodlands  and  along 
roadsides. 

Antiopa,  or  Afotirnutg  Cloak  Butterflies. — 
The  butterflies  of  the  first  summer  brood  ap- 
pear about  the  margins  of  woods,  in  open 
groves,  and  along  highways. 

Red  Admiral  Butterfly. — Adults  of  the  first 
brood  appear. 

Painted  Beauty  Butterfly. — Larvae  feeding 
on  everlasting  ;  some  butterflies  still  abroad. 

Painted  Lady  Butterfly.  —  Adults  of  new 
brood  appear  during  latter  half  of  month  and 
continue  on  the  wing  for  several  weeks. 

Red-spotted  Purple  Butterfly.— Kdwlis  still 
abundant  ;  ovipositing  on  various  willows, 
birches,  and  other  trees. 

Viceroy  Butterfly. — Larvae  mature  ;  change 
to  chrysalids  and  emerge,  during  latter  part  of 
month,  as  butterflies  of  the  second  brood. 

Blue-eyed  Grayling,  or  A  lope  Butterfly. — 
Adults  emerge  from  chrysalids  and  fly  about 
in  shady  situations. 

Spring  Azure  Butterfly. — Adults  of  the  sec- 
ond brood  appear  along  margins  of  woods  and 
by  the  roadside.     (All  of  the  form  neglecta.) 

Clouded  Snip /nir  Butterfly. — Adults  of  sec- 
ond brood  appear  ;  abundant  everywhere, 
often  congregating  in  highways  about  pools 
of  water. 

Tiger  Siuallo-vtail. — Larvae  develop  on  birch, 
poplar,  and  other  trees  and   change  to  chrysa- 

July  31 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


lids,  some  of   the  latter  maturing  into  butter-  Summary  for  July 

flies  during  the  latter  half  of  the  month. 

Green-clouded  Srvallozi'tail.—l.d^rvx  develop 
in  rolled  leaves  of  sassafras  and  spice  bush, 
and  change  to  chrysalids. 

Black-clouded  Szuallo'.utail,  or  Asterias  But- 
terfiy. — Larvae  developing  upon  carrots  and 
related  plants.     Some  change  to  chrysalids. 

Tent  Cciterpi liars. — Moths  of  both  the  Forest 
Tent  Caterpillar  and  the  American  Tent  Cat- 
erpillar flying  at  night  and  depositing  eggs  in 
rings  on  twigs  of  trees. 

Cecropia  and  other  large  Moths.  —  Young 
larvffi  hatch  from  eggs  and  begin  feeding  on 
their  various  food-plants. 

Huvnning-bird  Moth^  (Hemaris).  —  Adults 
found  in  bright  sunshine  visiting  various  flowers. 

Sphinx  Moths.— K^\x\X.%  commonly  visiting 
long-spurred  blossoms  at  dusk. 

Cuttvorm  Moths. — Larvae  of  summer  brood 
developing  in  grass-lands. 

Caddis-Jlies.  —  Adults  common  in  vicinity  of 
ponds  and  streams. 

Cicadas,  or  I/arvest- plies.  — l<iymY)\\s  come 
from  ground  and  develop  into  adults,  which 
sing  during  latter  part  of  the  month. 

Leaf-  hoppers.  —  Increasingly  abundant  on 
grasses  and  leaves  of  shrubs  and  trees. 

Common  Locusts.  —  Many  species  mature, 
often  in  great  numbers. 

Tree  Crickets  and  Katydids.— XiSiiVLV^  and 
begin  singing. 

Black  Crickets.— U^\.\xvQ  and  begin  singing. 

Dragon  -  Jlies.  —  Increasingly    abundant    in 
vicinity  of  ponds  and  streams. 
'  Damsel  Flies.— To  be  found  in  great  num- 
bers along  the  margins  of  ponds. 


AUGUST 


'There  is  no  sound  amid  the  trees. 
Save  the  faint  brush  of  rustling  breeze 
Save  insect  sentinels,  that  still 
Prolong  their  constant  'larum  shrill, 
And  answer  all,  from  tree  to  tree. 
With  one  monotonous  revelry." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  ,73 


AUGUST 

August  is  the  month  when  most  per-  Aujrust  i 

sons  who  can  go  to  the  sea-shore  do  so  ;  

and  it  is  in  this  month  that  inlanders 
make  such  studies  as  they  can  of  mari- 
time natural  history,  to  which  this  chap- 
ter will  be  particularly  devoted. 

In  the  human  practice  noted  above, 
men,  after  all,  are  only  imitating  their 
lowlier  cousins.  In  midsummer  all  the 
mammals  go  down  to  the  sea-shore  more 
or.  less,  especially  at  night,  attracted  by 
the  salt  and  in  search  of  food,  and  none 
more  commonly  than  the  small  carniv- 
ora.  Down  South  the  wild  oysters  that 
grow  upon  the  eel-grass,  or  even  attach 
themselves  to  bushes  whose  roots  or 
branches  trail  in  the  tidal  creeks,  are 
called  'coon  oysters,  because  that  sly 
mammal  is  so  fond  of  feeding  upon  them  ; 

and  no  creature   is  more   fond  of  "  sea  - 

food  "  than  the  opossum,  which  hunts 
about  the  holes  left  at  low  tide  for  crabs 
and  other  delicacies. 

Certain  large  inland  birds,  as  the  crows, 
constantly  visit  the  beaches  in  midsum- 
mer to  pick  up  scraps  in  the  surf,  while 
the  fish-hawk  and  marsh-harrier  are  reg- 
ular  residents   there,  the  nests    of   the 


74  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


August  2  former,  repaired  from  year  to  year,  form- 

■  ing   well-known    objects   of   interest    in 

many  localities.  Half  a  century  ago  all 
our  sandy  beaches,  from  Hatteras  to  the 
Bay  of  Fundy,  teer^ed  in  summer  with  a 
screaming  multitude  of  gulls  and  terns  of 
various  species,  watching  over  their  vil- 
lages of  nests  amid  the  sand  hillocks- 
hovering,  wheeling,  darting,  tipping  from 
side  to  side  upon  outstretched  wings, 
their  snowy  plumage  glistening  alter- 
nately against  the  sky  or  the  sea.  This 
beauty  and  grace  have  almost  disap- 
peared from  all  easily  accessible  shores, 
and  the  loss  to  all  lovers  of  the  sea-side  is 
irreparable.  But  this  is  not  the  whole  of 
the  loss,  for  formerly  all  the  marshes  and 
estuaries  abounded  the  year  round  in 
water- fowl,  wading  and  sand -running 
birds  that  have  been  killed  or  frightened 
away,  so  that  these  places  are  now  almost 
deserted  at  the  season  when  visitors  from 
inland  most  come  to  them. 

Certain  small  birds  still  enliven  the 
shores,  however.  Swallows  are  nowhere 
more  numerous,  for  they  naturally  belong 
to  the  sea-shore  cliffs,  and  the  sterile  but 
grassy  shore  fields  and  dune  tracts  are 
alive  with  several  sorts  of  sparrows  rarely 
seen  elsewhere — such  as  the  sharp-tailed 
and  "sea-side  "  finches,  the  yellow-winged 
and  Savanna  "grasshopper  "  sparrows,  all 
of  which  are  of  pallid  colors  and  have 
weak,  prattling  voices.  Two  very  char- 
acteristic little  sprites  of  the  salt  marshes 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  175 


are   the    marsh   wrens  —  lonu;-billed    and  August  3 

short-billed.  They  resemble  in  appear- 
ance  the  ordinary  house  wrens,  cocking 
up  their  tails  and  dashing  about  with  the 
same  air  of  scolding  energy.  It  is  aston- 
ishing how  numerous  they  are  among 
the  reeds  of  all  the  back  bays,  and  while 
you  hear  their  incessant,  powerful,  and 
melodious  voices  on  every  side,  how  dif- 
ficult it  is  to  get  sight  of  one.  By  this 
month,  of  course,  they  are  long  past  the 
breeding- time,  but  you  may  find  hun- 
dreds of  their  nests  still  frequently  occu- 
pied as  roosting- places  at  night  by  both 
old  and  young.  They  are  in  the  form  of 
large,  hollow  ball  baskets  woven  of  grass, 
hung  to  the  reeds,  and  entered  by  a  small 
door  in  the  side.  If  there  is  a  bird  with 
more  jollity  in  him  than  a  marsh  wren,  I 
don't  know  his  name. 

As  August  wanes  into  golden  Septem- 
ber one  begins  to  see  many  shore-birds 
that  are  slowly  making  their  way  south- 
ward. Upon  the  grassy  downs  along- 
shore, plovers,  like  the  killdeeand  upland, 
whirl  about  and  shout  out  their  names; 
nimble  sandpipers  go  skurrying  along  the 
sands  wherever  you  walk,  chasing  the 
retreating  ripples  to  their  lowest  verge, 
then  skipping  back  out  of  the  way  of  each 
advancing  wav^e ;  and  the  marshes  be- 
come noisy  with  the  clucking  of  various 
mud-hens  and  alive  with  ducks  and  their 
kindred.  Autumn  is  the  heyday  of  sea- 
side birds. 


176  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

August  4  "I  heard  a  katydid  last  night,"  writes 

'  Abbott,  at  Trenton,   N.  J.,  "the  first  of 

those  tiresome  singers,  and,  I  am  told, 
there  will  be  frost  in  six  weeks.  It  is 
certainly  appropriate  that  the  frost  should 
begin  on  so  suggestive  a  date  as  Septem- 
ber 2ist — the  day  when  summer  really 
ends.  But  August  suggests  the  close  of 
the  season  in  other  ways:  the  gathering 
of  the  reed -birds  in  the  marshes,  the 
flocking  of  the  blackbirds,  the  evening 
roostward  flight  of  the  crows,  to  say 
nothing  of  early  asters  and  golden-rod, 
among  flowers  that  are  now  blooming 
along  the  dingy,  dusty  roads.  I  have 
noticed  all  these,  and  some  at  a  much 
earlier  date  than  the  first  faint  lisping  of 
a  timid  katydid  ;  and  all  such  sights  and 
sounds  are  similarly  suggestive — the  sum- 
mer is  drawing  to  its  close." 

By  midsummer  all  the  fishes  of  the 
year  have  appeared  on  the  middle  parts 
of  our  coast.  Sheepshead,  scup  (or  porgy), 
sea-bass,  and  tautog  have  become  numer- 
ous, to  the  delight  of  the  anglers,  and 
the  salmon  are  ascending  the  Maine 
rivers,  while  southward  the  drums,  red- 
fish,  and  others,  are  prowling  about  the 
estuaries  and  lagoons,  and  the  Spanish 
mackerel  are  breeding  in  the  bays,  de- 
ferring this  duty  until  August  in  Long 
Island  Sound,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  done 
departing  for  warmer  latitudes.  By  this 
time  young  fishes  are  crowding  all  waters. 
Read  Thoreau's    long   and   sympathetic 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  ,77 


account    of   how   he   saw  the  bull-pouts  August  5 

leading  their  families  about  guiding  and 
instructing  them.  Little  shad  are  de- 
scending the  Hudson  and  Delaware  and 
other  northern  rivers  to  seek  their  fort- 
une in  the  great  outer  world  of  waters, 
where  young  bluetish  and  mackerel  are 
already  becoming  common,  and  are  chas- 
ing inshore  the  shoals  of  "spots"  that 
form  the  most  delicious  pan-fish  of  the 
season.  This  is  the  month,  indeed,  when 
those  terrors  of  the  sea,  the  swordfish, 
bluefish,  and  squeteague,  are  most  in  evi- 
dence, and  furnish  the  best  sport,  rivalled 
only  by  the  surf-iishing  for  bass.  The 
bluefish  and  squeteague  are  much  alike — 
they  feed  in  the  same  manner,  and  come 
and  go  at  similar  dates,  yet  are  rarely 
seen  together,  a  fact  probably  due  to  the 
circumstance  that  the  bluefish  is  the 
swifter,  so  that  he  outruns  and  drives 
away  all  the  prey  instead  of  sharing  it 
with  his  slower  relative.  Hence,  the  two 
keep  apart,  each  hunting  for  its  own  food 
at  its  own  pace,  but  both  are  dreaded  by 
everything  smaller  and  weaker  than  they. 
But  these  and  all  the  other  predatory 
surface-feeding  fishes  find  a  vast  abun- 
dance and  variety  of  swimming  food  at 
this  season  in  the  waters  off  our  New 
York  and  southern  New  England  coasts. 
Whether  or  not  the  Gulf  Stream  is  di- 
rectly felt  in  the  bight  between  Sandy 
Hook  and  Cape  Cod,  it  is  certain  that 
the  prevailing  southerly  winds  bring  warm 


I7b 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


August  6 


water  here,  and  that  in  late  summer  and 
early  autumn  the  surface  water  around 
Long  Island  and  thence  eastward  to  Buz- 
zard's Bay  is  very  warm,  and  a  great  host 
of  marine  invertebrates  may  be  gathered 
there  by  the  naturalist's  dredge  and  tow- 
ing-net.  This  attracts  a  host  of  small 
predacious  fishes,  and  after  them  come 
the  larger  ones,  like  the  swordtish,  sharks, 
and  the  smaller  cetaceans.  All  these, 
big  and  little,  are  most  numerous  in  the 
evening  and  on  still  nights,  when  many 
rise  to  the  surface  that  in  daylight  or  in 
stormy  weather  remain  in  the  depths. 

Among  these  free  swimmers  in  the 
open  sea  most  of  the  crabs  may  be  seen, 
and  the  young  of  all  of  them,  including 
the  lobster.  The  larvae  of  marine  worms 
are  numerous,  having  a  youthful  "liing" 
before  settling  down  to  a  fixed  position 
in  the  mud  or  sand.  The  same  is  true  of 
many  mollusks. 

"  Most  of  the  higher  gastropods,"  says 
Verrill,  "  enclose  their  eggs  in  capsules, 
which  they  attach  to  stones,  algae,  or 
shells,  and  within  these  the  eggs  hatch, 
and  the  young  have  a  well-formed  shell 
before  they  eat  their  way  out  of  the  cap- 
sules, and  when  free  they  crawl  about  by 
means  of  the  '  foot,'  like  the  adult.  But 
in  the  lower  orders  of  gastropods  most 
of  the  young,  when  first  hatched,  are  fur- 
nished with  vibrating  cilia,  and  swim 
free,  by  this  means,  for  a  short  time. 
These  larvae  are  very  different  from  the 


August  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


179 


adults,  and  in  the  case  of  the  naked  mol- 
lusks  {Niidibranchia)  the  larvae  are  fur- 
nished with  a  beautiful  little  glossy  spiral 
shell,  which  they  afterwards  lose.  The 
pteropods  swim  free  in  all  stages.  .  .  . 

"  The  bivalve  shells  mostly  produce 
minute  young,  or  larvae,  which  are  at 
first  provided  with  vibrating  cilia,  and 
swim  free  for  several  days,  as  is  well 
known  to  be  the  case  with  the  oysters, 
clams,  mussels,  tereds,  etc.  .  .  .  The  com- 
mon fixed  ascidians,  both  simple  and 
compound,  mostly  produce  eggs  that 
hatch  into  tadpole-shaped  young,  that 
swim  about  for  a  short  time  by  the  un- 
dulating motions  of  the  tail,  but  finally 
become  fixed  by  the  head  end,  and  losing, 
or  rather  absorbing,  the  tail  portion,  rap- 
idly develop  into  the  ordinary  forms  of 
the  ascidians." 

To  this  list  must  be  added  great  num- 
bers of  swimming  larvae  of  starfishes,  sea- 
eggs,  and  other  echinoderms,  including 
various  holothurians. 

The  jellytishes,  young  and  old,  now 
throng  the  surface  waters,  and  illuminate 
them  with  that  beautiful  phosphoresence 
of  which  these  and  the  colonies  of  wan- 
dering hydroids  and  ascidians,  such  as 
the  exquisite  salpa  chains,  are  mainly  the 
authors.  Sometimes  in  August  that  mar- 
vellously beautiful  creature,  the  Portu- 
guese man-of-war,  comes  sailing  into  our 
harbors  from  the  tropics,  its  iridescent 
sail  hoisted  to  catch  the  gentle  wind. 


August  8 


August  9 


I  So 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


August  10 


The  jellyfishes.  or  medusae,  are  among 
the  loveliest  of  living  things,  having  an 
extremely  simple  organization,  closely  al- 
lying them  to  the  polyps  on  one  hand  and 
to  the  echinoderms  on  the  other.  They 
consist  of  hardly  more  than  films  and 
threads  of  a  glutinous  substance,  almost 
unorganized  and  more  or  less  transparent, 
and  most  of  them  are  nourished  by  mi- 
croscopic food  taken  from  the  sea-water 
which  permeates  their  substance,  though 
others  are  carnivorous. 

These  lambent  gems  of  the  sea,  softly 
radiant  with  the  shifting  play  of  their  own 
phosphorescent  light,  mantling  their  crys- 
talline bells  and  lace-like  appendages  with 
blushes  of  submarine  lightning,  swarm  in 
incredible  numbers  and  diversity  in  all 
summer  seas.  Some  are  oceanic,  and 
known  only  where  they  burst  into  tiny 
rockets  under  the,  prows  of  far-sailing 
ships ;  but  the  main  body  of  the  tribe 
frequents  the  coast,  seeking  the  still,  warm 
water  of  protected  bays  and  lagoons,  and 
floating  like  chains  of  prismatic  bubbles 
— necklaces  of  pearls  on  Ocean's  breast. 
But  a  cloudy  or  stormy  day  will  send 
most  of  them  to  imperturbable  depths, 
and  others  avoid  the  noonday  glare. 

One  of  the  commonest  forms  on  our 
beaches  in  late  summer  is  the  great  Aure- 
lia,  or  "sunfish,"  of  which  vast  shoals  are 
sometimes  seen  basking  on  the  bosom  of 
the  sea,  preyed  upon  by  squids,  whales, 
turtles,  and  some  fishes,  though  well  able 


August  II 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  i8i 

to  protect  themselves   by  their  stinging  August  12 

powers  against  small  foes;   their  young  "~  " — 

are  produced  in  the  late  spring. 

Not  all  the  jellyfishes  are  umbrella- 
shaped,  however.  One  group,  of  which 
our  August  waters  contain  many  repre- 
sentatives —  the  ctenophores,  or  comb- 
bearers — are  egg-shaped,  transparent  little 
creatures,  with  eight  lines  of  tiny  paddles 
running  up  and  down  their  sides,  that 
flicker  with  mysterious  light,  as  if  they 
formed  the  gossamer  frame  of  some  fairy 
lantern. 

The  movements  of  these  medusae  ex- 
press the  perfection  of  beauty  in  motion. 
Nothing  in  nature  exceeds  the  elegance 
and  sinuous  grace  of  their  swimming. 
Unsubstantial  shapes  of,  rather  than  in, 
the  water,  palely  drawn  against  the  dark- 
ness in  ghostly  outlines  by  their  own  phos- 
phorescence, their  trailing  tentacles  mere 
ripples  of  light,  they  pulsate  elegantly  on- 
ward without*  visible  efTort  by  the  al- 
ternate contraction  and  dilation  of  their 
flexuous  disks,  reflecting  here  a  prismatic 
sunbeam,  there  altogether  lost  in  shad- 
ow, and  so  throb  softly,  silently,  track- 
lessly through  the  liquid — mere  passing 
thoughts  in  the  brain  of  the  Great  Deep. 

The  rambler  along  the  sea-shore  in  mid- 
summer searching  for  marine  creatures 
will  be  rewarded  according  to  the  charac- 
ter of  the  locality.  A  low  sandy  beach  or 
otifiing,  such  as  prevails  along  the  coasts 


August  13 


IS2 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


August  14 


of  the  Southern  States,  New  Jersey,  Long 
Island,  and  Cape  Cod  and  its  outlying 
islands,  is  the  poorest  of  all  places  to  look 
for  sea  animals  or  plants,  and  yet  a  stroller 
will  find  many  things  to  attract  his  eye. 
Such  beaches  slope  out  very  gradually  be- 
neath the  water  in  a  plain  of  ever-shifting 
sand,  where  few  sea-weeds  can  keep  a  root- 
hold.  Consequently — as  marine  as  well  as 
terrestrial  life  (apart  from  fishes)  depends 
upon  vegetation  —  the  variety  of  animal 
life  that  can  obtain  a  living  upon  such  a 
desert  is  small,  and  what  is  there  exists 
mainly  by  the  aid  of  certain  outlying  reefs 
of  rocks  clothed  with  sKibmarine  plants. 

Up  where  the  high  tide  or  storm  waves 
have  left  them  lie  sinuous  rows  of  dead 
eel-grass  and  various  red  sea-weeds,  at- 
tached to  shells  and  pebbles  that  have 
gone  adn'ft ;  and  mixed  among  these,  or 
scattered  over  the  smoother  part  of  the 
beach,  are  the  remains  of  crabs  and  fishes, 
shells  of  mollusks,  bits  of  sponges,  and 
various  minor  creatures. 

Of  the  sea-urchins  one  sees  none  south 
of  the  rocky  shores  of  Massachusetts,  ex- 
cept the  flat  sand  dollars  washed  up  from 
deep  waters  ;  and  starfishes  are  uncom- 
mon south  of  Sandy  Hook,  though  al- 
together too  numerous  all  round  Long 
Island,  where  they  increase  with  the 
growth  of  the  oyster-beds. 

Crabs  are  of  familiar  sorts  for  the  most 
part,  but  the  largest  and  smallest  will  in- 
terest inlanders.     The  former  is  the  great 


August  IS 


■ NATURE'S  CALENDAR i?3 

horseshoe,    or    king  crab,    whose    whole  August  i6 

body  is  protected  by  a  scoop  -  shaped 
shield,  to  the  rear  of  which  is  hinged  a 
bayonet-like  tail,  by  whose  aid  the  creat- 
ure can  hoist  himself  up  so  as  to  force 
his  way  down  into  the  sand,  or  to  turn 
right  side  up  when  a  wave  or  a  boy  upsets 
him.  You  will  examine  him  more  curi- 
ously, perhaps,  if  I  remind  you  that  he  is 
a  relic  of  an  otherwise  long  extinct  race 
of  crustaceans  that  trace  their  lineage 
back  to  the  trilobites,  the  most  numerous 
and  important  denizens  of  the  seas  of  the 
Silurian  age.  Our  horseshoe  crab,  then, 
is  the  sole  living  representative  of  one  of 
the  oldest  races  of  animals  known. 

Here  on  the  sand,  or  in  the  muddy  es- 
tuaries and  river- mouths,  occur  many 
lesser  species,  more  or  less  similar  to  the 
common  "  blue  "  edible  crab,  whose  catch- 
ing is  one  of  the  amusements  of  the  sea- 
son. Most  numerous,  perhaps,  are  the 
fiddlers,  running  actively  about,  or  peer- 
ing from  the  deep,  tubular  holes  which 
they  laboriously  excavate  and  which  form 
their  homes.  They  are  vegetarians,  feed- 
ing on  the  algae,  while  the  edible  crabs, 
lobsters,  etc.,  are  carrion-feeders.  Larger 
holes  are  inhabited  by  the  Ocypoda  crabs, 
which  is  the  terror  of  the  "beach  fleas," 
for  which  it  lies  in  wait  until  one  comes 
within  leaping  distance.  Another  pre- 
daceous  sand  crab  is  the  "  lady,"  which 
buries  itself  at  low-water  mark,  watching 
for   its  prey   or  against   enemies — many 

August  17 


iS4 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Aueust  i8 


fishes  being  crab -eaters.  Another  bur- 
rower,  numerous  in  the  wet  sand  at  low 
tide,  is  the  porcelain-Hke  hippa,  about  the 
size  and  color  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  which, 
with  its  relatives  the  shrimps  and  isopods, 
constitute  the  principal  food  of  a  long  list 
of  carnivorous  fishes  ;  and  many  lesser,  or 
ev^en  minute  crustaceans,  may  be  dug  out 
of  tubes  and  holes  between  tide-marks, 
not  to  mention  the  various  mud-crabs 
{PiUiopeus),  spider-crabs,  squills,  and  so 
on. 

Though  an  extensive  catalogue  of  mol- 
lusks  has  been  recorded  for  our  sandy 
southeastern  coast,  the  stroller  upon  these 
beaches  can  pick  up  a  comparatively 
small  variety  of  shells,  few  of  which  are 
very  attractive.  The  most  common  are 
familiar  "  hard  "  or  "soft"'  clams,  or  quo- 
hog  and  maninose,  as  they  are  called  lo- 
cally. The  quohog  is  a  type  of  heavy 
shell  that  lives  on  the  surface  of  the  sand, 
ploughing  its  way  along  from  place  to 
place,  and  the  little  ribbed  heart-shell  is  a 
small  and  pretty  cousin  that  is  common. 

Like  other  bivalve  mollusks  they  get 
their  food  by  sucking  it  in  with  the 
sea-water,  in  minute  floating  particles, 
through  one  of  a  pair  of  pipes;  the  nutri- 
ment is  abstracted  in  the  stomach,  the  air 
is  taken  up  by  the  curtain-like  gills  to  re- 
vive the  blood,  and  the  useless  water  itself 
spurts  out  of  a  second  or  outlet  pipe.  In 
the  quohog,  the  various  hard,  ribbed, 
more  or  less  brightly  colored,  heart-shaped 


August  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


species,  the  odd,  hairy,  flat-backed  arc- 
shell,  or  "  blood  clam,"  and  other  surface- 
keeping  species,  the  pipes  are  short ;  but 
in  the  thin-shelled  soft  clam,  and  similar 
kinds,  that  live  deeply  sunken  in  the  mud 
and  sand  of  the  bottom,  the  pipes  may  be 
stretched  out  to  a  length  of  several  inches. 
By  this  provision  these  clams  are  able  to 
lie  safely  buried  between  tide-marks,  con- 
tentedly waiting  the  return  of  the  water 
that  shall  bring  them  refreshment.  As 
you  walk  over  the  oozy  sand  where  they 
hide,  you  se€  their  position  by  numerous 
pinpricks,  out  of  which  will  spurt,  just 
ahead  of  your  footsteps,  tiny  jets  of  water, 
showing  that  they  have  felt  the  jar  of 
your  approach  and  are  hastily  withdraw- 
ing their  flexible  pipes  to  safer  depths. 

Of  the  several  sorts  of  thin-shelled  bi- 
valves of  this  type  living  on,  or  rather  in, 
our  beaches,  the  most  attractive  one  is  the 
razor  clam,  whose  long  shells,  shaped  like 
a  knife-handle,  show  a  glossy  green  and 
banded  surface  that  is  often  exceedingly 
beautiful. 

Of  a  very  similar  nature  are  the  two  or 
three  species  of  glossy,  or  sometimes 
prettily  marked,  pear-shaped  "  mussels," 
which  live  altogether  out  of  the  sand,  at- 
tached to  some  fixed  object,  as  a  rock,  a 
bridge-pile,  or  the  stems  of  the  eel-grass, 
by  a  silken  cable  or  bysstis  of  their  own 
spinning.  They  are  to  be  searched  for  in 
the  inlets  or  about  the  edges  of  bays  and 
lagoons,  where  the  salt  tide  has  free  ac- 


iS6  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

August  22 


cess;  and  their  stout  masses  are  often  of 
great  service  in  resisting  the  wearing  away 
of  the  soil  by  the  currents.     All  these  bi- 
valves, like  the  oysters,  increase  by  pour- 
ing   forth,   in    midsummer,  an    immense 
number  of  eggs  that  drift  about  in  the 
water,  the  prey  of  multitudes  of  aquatic 
creatures,  so  that  only  one  in  a  thousand, 
perhaps,  ever  is  hatched,  and  few  of  these 
survive  long  enough  to  come  to  maturity. 
The   univalve  mollusks— those   whose 
shells  are  all    in    one  piece   and   usually 
spiral— such  as  the  sea  snails,  periwinkles, 
etc.,  on  the  contrary,  lay  few  eggs,  but 
place  them  where  they  are  subject  to  far 
less  dangers.     You  will  be  sure  to   find, 
this  month,  along  the  sands  curious  skeins 
of   yellowish   lozenge-like  cases,  looking 
something  like  a  toy  snake.  These  are  the 
egg  cases  of  the  large  pear-shaped  wnnkles, 
or  conchs,  whose  dead-white   shells,  be- 
reft of  their  brown,  hairy  skin  are  thrown 
up  from  the  deeper  water  in  every  storm, 
and  may  always  be  obtained  alive  on  the 
oyster-beds,  where  they  do  vast  damage. 
They  can    move   about   rapidly,  walking 
upon  a  broad  muscular  surface  pushed  out 
from  the  shell,  which  is  dragged  along  like 
a  burden  ;  and  they  feel  their  way  by  the 
help  of  two  tentacles  projecting  forward. 
Just  beneath  them  is  a  mouth  which  may 
be  protruded  and  enlarged  so  as  to  envel- 
op and  crush  an  oyster  or  similar  victim, 
whose  juices  are  then  sucked  out.     In  the 
absence  of  such    living  prey    these    and 


August  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  187 

similar  mollusks  live  upon  dead  fish  and  August  24 

other  carrion,  and  thus  perform  a  valuable 
scavenger  service  in  the  sea. 

One  finds  rolling  in  the  surf  several 
sorts  of  spiral  shells,  which  the  oystermen 
call  boi-ers,  with  good  reason,  for  these,  too, 
are  carnivorous,  and  creep  about  in  search 
of  flesh,  dead  or  alive.  Coming  to  a  bed  of 
mussels  or  oysters,  they  settle  upon  one, 
and,  protruding  a  ribbon-like  "tongue" 
studded  with  flinty  "  teeth,"  like  a  file, 
they  bore  with  it  a  round  hole  through  the 
shell  and  suck  out  its  substance,  while  the 
inmate  is  powerless  to  resist  the  attack. 
Among  the  worst  of  them  is  one  which  is 
white,  almost  as  globular  as  an  apple,  and 
sometimes  two  inches  in  diameter,  called 
the  Natica.  It  creeps  about  almost  buried 
in  the  sand,  under  shallow  water,  near 
shore,  and  is,  therefore,  easily  rolled  up 
when  dead;  it  is  a  shell  of  which  the 
hermit-crabs  are  especially  fond.  If  you 
search  carefully  you  are  pretty  sure  to 
find  its  eggs,  scattered  through  a  glue-like 
mass  covered  with  sand  grains,  that  has 
much  the  shape  of  a  "  stand-up  "  collar, 
and  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  the  beach. 

One  might  go  on  a  long  time  in  descrip- 
tion of  even  the  comparatively  few  shells, 
crustaceans,  worms  (in  great  variety),  and 
so  forth,  to  be  found  upon  our  sandy 
coast,  or  in  the  salt  marshes,  where  va- 
rious limpets  and  other  small  species  live, 
and  where  the  mud-flats  are  often  black 
with  multitudes  of  small  species,  one  of 


i88 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


August  25  which,    the    Melampus,  is   a    land    shell 

—  rather  than  a  sea  snail. 

A  rocky  coast,  hovvev^er,  is  far  more  in- 
teresting to  the  maritime  naturalist,  be- 
cause a  much  greater  variety  of  animals 
and  plants  are  to  be  found  there.  Rocky, 
weedy  bottoms  and  shores  are  met  with 
in  Long  Island  Sound,  and  about  Narra- 
gansett  and  Buzzard's  bays,  and  prevail 
north  of  Boston,  where  Cape  Ann  and  the 
coast  of  Maine  are  grand  hunting-grounds 
for  the  marine  zoologist.  The  abundance 
of  crustacean  and  moll-uscan  life  about 
such  places  attracts  the  fishes  that  feed 
upon  them,  so  that  nowhere  are  tautog, 
striped  bass,  black  bass,  cunners,  etc.,  more 
numerous  than  in  the  neighborhood  of 
weed-grown  reefs. 

South  of  Cape  Cod  rocky  reefs  and 
shores  are  covered  between  tide-marks 
with  rock-weeds  {Fiiciis),  "  which  hang  in 
great  olive-brown  clusters  from  the  sides 
of  the  rocks  or  lie  flat  upon  their  surfaces 
when  left  by  the  tide,  but  are  floated  up 
by  means  of  abundant  air-vessels  when 
the  tide  rises."  Mingled  with  these  are 
several  other  algae,  among  which  the 
green  "sea-cabbage"  {Ulva)  is  one  of  the 
most  abundant.  Below  this  zone  of  Fucus 
there  is  a  narrow  zone,  which  is  only  ex- 
posed during  spring -tides;  in  this  the 
Ulva  and  many  other  more  delicate  green 
and  red  alg?e  flourish.  These  subaqueous 
forests  and  the  pools  left  among  the  rocks 
by  the  daily  retreat  of  the  waters  are  pop- 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


ulous  with  curious  and  beautiful  forms 
of  animal  and  vegetable  life,  now  at  the 
height  of  their  energy  and  attractiveness. 

"  The  animals  of  rocky  shores,"  we  are 
instructed  by  that  veteran  in  this  study, 
Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill,  of  Yale,  "  are  to  be 
sought  for  in  a  variety  of  ways.  A  few 
occur  quite  exposed,  clinging  to  the  rocks 
or  weeds,  in  defiance  of  the  surf.  These 
are  chiefly  univalve  shells,  barnacles,  and 
such  animals  as  grow  like  plants,  firmly 
attached  to  solid  objects  —  among  these 
are  the  bryozoa,  hydroids,  and  sponges. 
A  much  larger  number  seek  shelter  under 
the  rocks,  or  on  their  lower  sides,  or  in 
crevices  and  cavities  between  them  ;  these 
must  be  sought  by  turning  over  the  rocks 
and  exploring  the  cavities  concealed  by 
the  Fucus,  etc.  Many  other  species  con- 
ceal themselves  still  more  effectually  by 
burrowing  in  the  mud,  gravel,  and  sand, 
beneath  and  between  the  rocks,  but  must 
also  be  sought  for  by  digging  with  a  spade, 
stout  trowel,  or  some  other  tool,  in  the 
dirt  exposed  when  the  rocks  are  removed. 
The  number  of  curious  species  of  anne- 
lids, holothurians,  bivalve  shells,  actiniae, 
etc.,  which  can  be  unearthed  in  this  way 
is  always  very  surprising  to  the  inexpe- 
rienced in  this  kind  of  collecting. 

"  Still  other  kinds  can  be  found  by  care- 
fully examining  the  pools  and  discovering 
the  smaller  animals  by  their  motions,  or 
by  the  shadows  that  they  cast  when  the 
sun  shines,  or  by  noticing  their  burrows, 


igo  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

August  27  or,  if  time  will  not  admit  of  a  more  care- 

ful  examination,  by  sweeping  a  fine  hand- 
net  through  the  weeds  along  the  edges. 
Many  small  Crustacea,  shells,  etc.,  may 
also  be  found  clinging  to  the  corallines 
and  other  algae  growing  in  such  pools,  or 
even  among  the  algae  lying  upon  the  rocks, 
and  especially  among  masses  of  detached 
algae  thrown  up  by  the  waves." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  191 


CALENDAR   FOR   AUGUST 

MAMMALS 
(See  July  and  September) 

BIRDS 

Sora  Rails. — Begin  to  depart  South. 

Phalaropcs. — Begin  to  pass  South. 

Doiuitchcrs. — Pass  South. 
Sandpipers  and  other   Bay-birds.  —  Become 
common. 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher.— AxnvQ^  from  North 
third  week. 

Yello2u  -  billed     Flycatcher.  —  Arrives     from 
North  second  week. 

Acadian    Flycatcher.  —  Departs   Soutli   third 
week. 

C//^^^<:.— Departs  South  last  week. 

Tree  S^valloius. — Roosting  in  marshes  in  vast 
tlocks  ;  begin  to  depart  South. 

Rough  -  zuinged  S:vallo70s.  —  Depart    South 
third  week. 

orm  •  eating    Warblers.  —  Depart    South 
fourth  week. 

Nashville  and  Magnolia    Warblers.— Arrive 
from  North  third  week. 

Bay-breasted  and  Blackburnian  Warblers. — 
Arrive  from  North  second  week. 

Water  Thrtishes.—V^%%mg  South. 

Wilson's  Blackcap  and  Canadian  Warbler.— 
Arrive  from  North  third  week. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch.— kxr'wes  from  North 
second  week. 

BATRACHL\NS   AND    REPTILES 
Serpents. — Shedding  their  skins. 


August  28 


192  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

August  2Q  Ovoviviparous,    Colubrine    Snakes.  —  Bring 

forth  young  late  in  the  month. 

Green  Grass-snake. — Laying  eggs. 

FISHES   AND    MARINE    LIFE 

Sea  fishes  of  all  kinds  abundant  inshore. 

Young  of  fresh-water  fishes,  and  of  many  salt- 
water species,  numerous,  in  shoals. 

Larvse  and  young  of  marine  invertebrates 
crowd  the  water  and  are  preyed  upon  by  fishes 
and  other  enemies. 

Jellyjishes. — Producing  young  (except  Aii- 
relia  and  Cyanea). 

Annelids. — Spawning  (except  Nereids). 

Larvae  of  many  crabs  appear,  especially  of 
the  hermits,  soldier  crabs,  Hippa,  Ocypoda,  etc. 

Slipper  Limpet. — Frequenting  the  eel-grass, 
"  where,  in  August,  it  often  deposits  its  bright 
yellow  eggs  enclosed  in  small  gelatinous  messes, 
which  are  grouped  in  clusters." 

INSECTS 

Hornets,  Wasps,  and  Ye  How- Jackets. — Colo- 
nies very  active;  enlarging  nests;  rearing  young; 
foragmg  for  nectar,  honey-dew,  and  insects; 
visiting  golden-rod  and  other  blossoms. 

Biwible-hees. — Workers  very  abundant;  caring 
for  young  ;  storing  honey  and  pollen  in  the  cells 
of  the  brood  comb.  Some  drones  or  males  appear. 

Mud-isjasps  and  Digger  Wasps. — Very  active 
'  on  bright,  hot  days,  preparing  and  filling  cells 

in  which  young  are  to  develop. 

Ichneumon-flies. — Continue  very  active  in 
search  of  victims,  as  well  as  in  feeding  on  the 
nectar  of  shallow  blossoms. 

Ladybird  Beetles.  —  Abundant  on  herbs, 
shrubs,  and  trees. 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


Click  Beetles. — Adults  still  to  ])e  found.  August  30 

Biiprestid  Beetles. — Adults    Hying    in    warm 


sunshine  ;  ovipositing  in  bark  of  trees. 

Long-horned  Beetles. — Adults  of  some  species 
abundant  in  golden-rod,  cultivated  asters,  and 
other  composite  flowers. 

Syrphid Flies. — Adults  abundant  on  blossoms 
of  golden-rod  and  other  flowers  ;  larvae  among 
colonies  of  plant-lice,  feeding  on  the  latter. 

Monarch  Butterfly.  —  ^.AwXX.'i,  of  new  brood 
appear. 

Regal Frltillary,  or  Idalia  Butterfly. — Adults 
still  abundant,  many  of  them  fresh  from  the 
chrysalis;  visiting  golden -rod,  Vernonia,  and 
many  sorts  of  blossonas,  and  ovipositing  upon 
violet  leaves. 

Silver-spot  Fritillary,  or  .Aphrodite  Butterfly. 
— Adults  continue  on  the  wing,  many  of  them 
fresh  from  the  chrysalis. 

Baltimore,  orPhceton  Butterfly. — Larvae  feed- 
ing on  Chelone  in  swamps,  growing  very  slowly  ; 
towards  end  of  month  cease  feeding  and  go  into 
hibernation  in  the  larval  nest. 

Violet -tip  Butterfly.  — Caterpillars  of  the 
second  brood  developing  on  hop  and  elm. 

Gray  Comma,- or  Frogne  Butterfly. — Larvae 
develop  on  currant  and  gooseberry  and  change 
to  chrysalids. 

Hop  Merchant,  or  Comma  Butterfly. — Adults 
of  new  brood  still  on  the  wing,  laying  eggs,  and 
larvae  eating  leaves  of  elm  and  hop. 

Red  Admiral  Butterfly. — Larvae  of  second 
brood  feeding  in  folded  nettle  leaves. 

Painted  Lady  Butterfly. — Larvae  on  thistle 
and  other  composite  plants. 

Painted  Beauty  Butterfly — Adults  of  new 
brood  appear  and  lay  eggs  on  everlasting. 


ic^4  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

Aucust  "^l  Bine-eyed  Grayling,    or   A  lope    Bntterjly. — 

Adults  continue  on  the  wing,  and  during  latter 

part  of  month  lay  eggs  on  grasses. 

Viceroy  Butterfly. — Adults  of  second  brood 
continue  on  wing  and  deposit  eggs  on  leaves  of 
willow  and  poplar. 

Spring  Azure  Butterfly. — Adults  of  the  sec- 
ond brood  still  to  be  found. 

Tiger  Swalloiotail. — Butterflies  deposit  eggs 
on  various  trees,  and  larvae  feed  upon  foliage. 

Clouded  Sulphur  Butterfly. — Adults  still  com- 
mon everywhere. 

Black  Swallo-cotail,  or  Asterias  Butterfly. — 
Larvae  mature  and  change  to  chrysalids  ;  but- 
terflies of  second  brood  appear  and  lay  eggs. 

Cecropia  and  other  large  Moths.  —  Larvae 
complete  growth  on  their  various  food- plants. 

Sphinx  Moths. — Larvae  of  many  species  to 
he  found  on  many  food-plants. 

Harvest-flies,  or  Cicadas. — Adults  continue 
singing  ;  oviposit  in  twigs  of  trees. 

Leaf-hoppers. — Adults  of  many  species  abun- 
dant on  leaves  of  trees,  shrubs,  and  herbs  ; 
many  on  grasses. 

T'ioig- hoppers. — Adults  common  on  branches 
of  many  herbs. 

Locusts,  or  Grasshoppers. — Adults  of  many 
species  in  fields  and  meadows  ;  ovipositing,  es- 
pecially during  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 

Tree  Crickets. — Adults  common  on  leaves 
and  branches  ;  singing  in  the  evening. 

Black  Crickets. — Abundant  in  fields  and  about 
logs,  etc. ;  begin  laying  eggs  in  the  ground. 

Katydids. — Several  species  abundant,  feed- 
ing on  leaves  of  various  plants,  singing,  and 
laying  eggs. 

Dragon-flies  and  Damsel-flies. — Very  com- 
mon in  the  neighborhood  of  ponds  and  streams. 


SEPTEMBER 

The  sultry  summer  past,  September  comes 
Soft  twilight  of  the  slow  declining  year." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  197 


SEPTEMBER 

September,  the  seventh  month  (Latin  September  i 

Septimus,  seventh)  of  the  old  Roman  cal- 
endar, is  counted  as  the  first  of  the  au- 
tumnal quarter  in  our  arrangement,  but 
practically  summer  lasts  through  to  Mich- 
aelmas. September  is  the  month  of  fruits. 
"Grapes,"  says  Wilson  Flagg.  "in  purple 
clusters,  basking  in  the  sunshine,  garland 
the  stone  wall,  which  seems  like  a  natural 
trellis.  Apples  are  reddening  on  the 
orchard  trees,  under  the  ripening  influence 
of  the  sun,  or  lie  in  heaps  of  variegated 
colors  upon  the  ground.  Peaches  with 
downy  cheeks,  wearing  the  blush  of 
mellow  ripeness,  are  drooping  voluptu- 
ously from  their  slender  boughs.  Quince- 
trees,  in  gleaming  rows  along  the  fences, 
tempt  the  visitor  with  the  golden  apples 
of  the  Hesperides.  Every  way-side  in  the 
country  is  adorned  with  a  similar  profu- 
sion, and  glittering  varieties  of  fruits  hang 
from  thousands  of  boughs  and  sprinkle 
the  green  turf  of  every  orchard." 

The  mammals,  large  or  small,  are  not 
as  much  in  evidence  yet  as  they  will 
be  later,  but  certain  ones  are  common 
enough.  The  young  of  most  have  now 
grown  to  two-thirds  their  full  size— per- 


igS 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  2 


haps  more,  and  small,  inexperienced  wood- 
chucks  begin  to  be  frequently  seen  among 
the  second-growth  clover,  and  are  trouble- 
some to  the  rural  gardener  and  celery 
planter. 

"  In  September  the  woodchuck  sits  by 
his  hole,"  says  Schuyler  Mathews,  "  the 
perfect  image  of  listlessness ;  he  is  as  ab- 
solutely motionless  as  'a  bump  on  a  log.' 
Possibly  he  meditates  upon  the  changing 
aspect  of  nature;  at  any  rate,  he  does  not 
move  a  muscle,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
his  mind  works.  Approach  him  never  so 
silently  and  cautiously,  and  he  pops  in 
without  a  preliminary  movement.  On 
one  occasion,  though,  I  did  actually  see 
him  change  his  position  before  he  disap- 
peared. At  first  sight  he  was  upright; 
then,  on  my  nearer  approach,  he  dropped 
horizontally,  and  when  I  got  within  ten 
feet  of  him  he  was  gone.  Presently  I 
took  a  harmonicon  from  my  pocket  and 
softly  played  upon  it;  being  highly  sus- 
ceptible to  the  sweet  influence  of  music, 
he  reappeared  at  his  doorstep,  and,  with 
a  slight  expression  of  disturbance  on  his 
usually  dull  countenance,  eyed  me  with 
some  curiosity  and  disapproval.  I  imag- 
ined if  he  possessed  the  power  of  speech 
he  would  have  said,  'This  may  be  quite  a 
clever  performance,  sir,  but,  on  the  whole, 
I'd  thank  you  not  to  disturb  my  autumn 
reverie.'  " 

Before  the  end  of  the  month,  however, 
nearly  all  have  disappeared,  having  gone 


September  3 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


thus  early  to  the  holes  they  have  bcLii 
digging,  or  to  the  crannies  they  have  been 
making  warm  with  a  thick  bedding  of  dry 
grass,  where  they  will  sleep  out  the  larger 
part  of  the  cold  season  to  follow. 

Now,  too,  as  the  corn  develops  into  the 
soft,  milky  stage,  when  it  is  at  its  sweet- 
est, the  'coons,  old  and  young,  come  to 
feed  on  the  juicy  kernels — stealing  from 
the  woods  by  moonlight,  watching  for 
dogs  and  men,  dodging  among  the  shad- 
ows, racing  across  the  lights,  and  eagerly 
stripping  the  husks  from  the  coveted  ears. 
These  handsome  animals  are  undergoing 
their  semi-annual  molt,  and  the  hair 
coming  of?  in  patches,  to  be  replaced  pres- 
ently by  the  darker,  closer  winter  coat, 
gives  them  a  very  ragged  appearance. 

The  milky  cornstalks  are  climbed  by 
the  squirrels,  too;  but  they  come  by  day- 
light. On  Western  frontier  farms  it  used 
to  be  needful  to  watch  the  fields  and  drive 
the  gray  squirrels  away,  if  enough  of  the 
crop  was  to  be  saved  to  repay  the  planter. 
This  task  fell  to  the  boys.  Squirrel  fam- 
ilies are  divided  at  this  season,  the  moth- 
ers and  young  keeping  house  together  in 
their  summer  homes  of  leaves,  and  the 
fathers  and  'elder  brothers  ranging  the 
country  by  themselves ;  all  feed  largely 
upon  various  mushrooms. 

This  separation  of  the  sexes  in  late 
summer  is  characteristic  of  all,  or  nearly 
all,  the  wild  quadrupeds.  The  deer  of 
various  sorts  are  good  examples  of  it,  the 


200 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


Seotember  6 


mothers  and  fawns  and  yearlings  straying 
together,  wherever  they  can  get  most  re- 
lief from  the  flies,  while  the  bucks  are 
still  hiding  in  secret  nooks,  waiting  for 
their  antlers  to  put  on  their  final  points 
and  harden. 

In  summer  the  deer  come  out  of  the 
thick  woods  and  resort  to  the  borders  of 
streams  and  ponds,  where  at  night  they 
love  to  wade  into  the  water  and  feed  on 
the  lilies  and  other  succulent  weeds  and 
grasses ;  and  they  are  often  seen  swim- 
ming even  large  lakes  as  a  short  cut  to 
other  pastures,  where  they  browse  until 
daybreak  warns  them  to  seek  the  seclu- 
sion of  the  thickets.  As  September  ad- 
vances, and  the  marsh  plants  begin  to 
wither  and  fall  down,  the  deer  forsake 
the  watercourses  for  the  forests,  where  a 
plentiful  supply  of  food  now  exists — best 
of  all  beech-mast,  of  which  they  are  very 
fond,  and  upon  which  they  fatten  amaz- 
ingly. By  this  time,  109,  the  new  antlers 
of  the  buck,  which  he  has  spent  the  sum- 
mer months  in  nursing,  are  free  from 
the  "velvet,"  and,  feeling  himself  able  to 
battle  with  all  competitors,  he  sets  about 
his  wooing.  Coincidently  both  sexes  are 
shedding  their  reddish  summer  coats  and 
taking  on  the  warmer  "blue"  pelage  of 
winter;  and  the  spots  of  the  fawns  disap- 
pear. The  deer  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
region  are  three  or  four  weeks  earlier  in 
these  changes. 

Other  mammals  are  now  changing  their 


September  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


coats  and  putting  on  winter  wear,  and  all 
the  pelts  of  the  fur-bearers  are  ragged, 
uncertain  in  color,  and  comparatively 
worthless  to  the  trapper,  who  pays  little 
attention  to  them  until  later.  The  birds 
are  molting  also,  exchanging  their  bright 
tints  for  the  duller  hues  of  the  travelling 
and  winter  dress;  and  the  nuptial  glow 
that  distinguishes  many  fishes  in  the  early 
part  of  the  summer  has  faded.  Serpents, 
however,  are  gayer  in  color  than  usual, 
having  recently  sloughed  off  last  year's 
scaly  coat. 

September  is  the  fattening  time  for  the 
four-footed  folk.  Insects  are  plentiful, 
and  seeds  of  the  flowering  herbs  and  of 
many  wild  grains  have  ripened,  so  that 
before  the  end  of  the  month  mice,  squir- 
rels, chipmunks,  gophers,  and  the  rest  are 
at  work  filling  their  granaries;  the  musk- 
rats  are  planning  their  houses,  and  where 
any  beavers  are  left  to  us  they  are  busily 
cutting  the  first  of  their  winter  store  and 
repairing  or  extending  their  dams  and 
lodges.  Even  the  bear  is  practically  do- 
ing the  same,  for  the  berries  and  nuts 
upon  which  he  gorges  himself  in  the  hill 
thickets  at  this  time  are  turned  into  the 
thick  layers  of  fat  beneath  his  loose  hide 
that  shall  nourish  him  during  the  long 
period  of  sleepy  famine  ahead. 

But  the  most  interesting  feature  of  the 
month  in  the  animal  world  is  the  south- 
ward migration  of  the  birds,  now  at  its 
height. 


September  8 


September  9 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  lo 


The  northward  movement  of  the  birds 
in  spring  was  discussed  in  the  chapter  on 
May.  Now,  they  having  accom.pHshed 
the  domestic  duty  which  led  them  north, 
we  see  or  hear  them,  during  all  these  Sep- 
tember weeks,  hurrying  back  again  to  their 
winter  homes  in  the  sunny  South.  Even 
before  August  comes  to  an  end  a  large 
part  of  the  resident  songsters  of  the  more 
northerly  States  have  departed,  and  the 
September  woods  would  be  lifeless,  in- 
deed, were  it  not  for  the  new  arrivals  from 
the  North. 

Now  snipe,  sandpipers,  and  plovers 
gather  in  chattering  bands  and  dart  away 
in  the  dusk  to  feeding-grounds  not  threat- 
ened by  frost;  the  woodland  birds  flit 
cautiously  from  copse  to  copse,  scudding 
to  shelter  as  they  see  following  overhead 
the  ominous  forms  of  hawk  and  owl,  or 
watchful  for  the  weasel  and  his  kin-  who 
fatten  upon  the  moving  crowds;  ducks 
and  geese  cleave  their  way  through  the 
morning  air  to  feeding-places  where  un- 
wilted  food  still  awaits  them,  and  the 
marshes  are  clouded  with  vast  flocks  of 
blackbirds,  swallows,  and  the  like,  con- 
gregating to  fly  southward  in  company. 

This  gathering  into  great  bands  by 
many  birds  is  one  of  the  features  in  which 
the  autumnal  differs  from  the  vernal  move- 
ment, and  nothing  is  more  curious  than 
the  behavior  of  a  flock  or  groups  of  flocks 
of  redwings,  neatly  uniformed  and  sol- 
dierly, wheeling  and  advancing  in  long 


September  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  203 


platoons,  or  settling  as  if  by  order  on  th"e  September  12 

reeds.    Quite  as  multitudinous,  but  not  so  

picturesque,  are  the  gatherino;s  of  white- 
bellied  swallows  in  the  marshes. 

Again,  as  in  spring,  it  is  noticeable  that 
the  old  males  lead  the  host  of  each  spe- 
cies. Restlessness  to  depart  seems  to  in- 
fluence them  as  soon  as  they  have  seen 
that  the  family  eggs  are  hatched  and  the 
young  likely  to  be  reared.  Then,  free  of 
care,  they  begin  to  long  for  the  South, 
and  being  strong  of  wing  they  keep  ahead 
of  the  females  and  weak  youngsters,  which 
latter  start  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  un- 
dertake the  journey. 

There  is  no  mystery,  then,  about  the 
young  finding  their  way— they  follow  their 
elders,  who  have  been  taught  the  route 
and  remember  it,  aided,  no  doubt,  by  a 
keener  faculty  for  finding  their  way — a 
more  perfect  "sense  of  direction" — than 
civilized  humanity  possesses,  but  perhaps 
not  more  perfect  than  belongs  to  certain 
savages.  They  follow  certain  great  routes 
or  highways,  as  has  been  described  in 
speaking  of  the  northward  flight  in  June; 
and  it  is  probable  that  their  main  object 
in  flying  at  so  great  a  height  as  they  often 
do,  is  in  order  to  get  a  wide  survey  of  the 
landscape,  and  so  keep  their  landmarks  in 
view,  making  their  way  easily  from  point 
to  point  invisible  at  a  lower  level. 

Persons  looking  at  the  face  of  the  full 
moon  with  a  telescope  on  September 
evenings,  may  see  hundreds  of  birds  pass- 


September  13 


204 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  14 


ing  across  its  bright  disk,  at  heights  a 
quarter  or  half  a  mile  above  the  earth,  for 
now,  as  in  the  spring,  the  migratory  jour- 
neys are  made  mostly  in  the  dark  hours, 
the  daylight  being  given  to  resting,  feed- 
ing, and  some  leisurely  progress.  That 
the  necessity  for  feeding  by  day  is  the 
main  reason  why  they  fly  at  night  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  such  birds  as 
swallows,  swifts,  nighthawks,  and  certain 
others  that  obtain  their  food  on  the  wing, 
do  not  do  this,  but  proceed  wholly  by 
daylight,  foraging  as  they  fly. 

In  clear  nights,  and  especially  when  the 
moon  shines,  the  woodland  birds  collect 
at  sunset  in  little  bands  and  rise  straight 
up  to  a  considerable  height,  then  bear 
away  on  their  course.  But  when  the 
nights  are  dark  and  misty,  as  so  often 
happens  in  early  autumn,  yet  not  so 
stormy  as  to  stop  them,  the  birds  skim 
low  over  the  tree-tops  and  houses,  fueling 
their  way  along  and  often  getting  confused 
and  scattered.  On  such  nights  no  one 
who  is  out  in  a  quiet,  open  place,  where 
the  chatter  of  the  katydids  and  other 
noises  do  not  fill  his  ears,  can  fail  to  hear 
in  the  gloom  above  him  the  almost  inces- 
sant voices  of  passing  birds,  calling  to  one 
another  in  the  effort  to  keep  together  as 
they  grope  their  way  along.  It  is  one  of 
the  pleasures  of  the  autumn  to  listen  to 
these  anxious-hearted,  invisible  travellers, 
most  of  whom  will  be  recognized  by  the 
trained  ear. 


September  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


205 


So  they  drift  by  us  through  the  bright 
autumnal  weather,  leisurely  by  day,  hur- 
riedly at  night,  wave  after  wave,  follow- 
ing the  turning  of  the  leaves  till  they 
come  to  the  still  verdant  vegetation  of 
tropical  lands,  and  can  settle  down  to  six 
months  of  pleasure  and  plenty. 

September  is  the  birth-month  of  many 
of  the  North  American  snakes,  especially 
of  the  venomous  species.  The  crotaline 
snakes  mate  in  March  in  the  Gulf  States 
— later,  of  course,  in  the  North,  but  im- 
mediately after  they  come  out  from  their 
winter-quarters.  This  is  true  of  all  the 
rattlesnakes,  moccasins,  and  copperheads, 
and  also  of  several  other  non-venomous 
serpents.  In  September  their  young  are 
born  from  egg  -  like  envelopes  retained 
within  the  mother's  body  until  the  em- 
bryos have  been  perfected  and  are  suffi- 
ciently active  to  tear  their  way  out  of  the 
case,  almost  as  soon  as  they  are  voided 
into  the  world,  when  they  begin  at  once 
to  look  out  for  themselves.  The  ordinary 
number  produced  at  a  birth  by  the  rattle- 
snakes and  their  kin  is  six  or  seven,  each 
about  seven  inches  long. 

Other  snakes  that  are  ovoviviparousand 
bring  forth  their  young  in  late  August  or 
September  (according  to  latitude  and  sea- 
sonal temperature)  are  the  various  garter, 
striped,  or  ribbon  snakes  {EntcEnia  and 
Storeria),  and  the  water-snakes  {Tropz'do- 
notus).  All  these  produce  from  live  to 
seven  young  only — very  few,  as  compared 


September  16 


September  17 


2o6 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  i8 


with  the  young  born  from  the  egg-laying 
snakes,  which  are  exposed  to  many  dan- 
gers in  the  eggs  from  which  the  young  of 
the  viviparous  snakes  are  saved. 

Several  snakes  do  not  lay  their  eggs 
until  late  in  August,  or  even  until  this 
month,  most  of  them  hatching  by  the 
middle  of  September.  This  is  probably 
true  of  the  blacksnake,  although  exact 
evidence  of  it  is  wanting.  It  is  known  to 
be  true  of  the  pretty  green  snake  {^Coluber 
vernalis):  "On  August  30th,"  says  F.  W. 
Putnam  {A>n.  Nat.  ii.,  134),  "  I  found  the 
eggs.  .  .  seven  in  number,  just  under  the 
old  bark  and  moss  of  a  decayed  stump  in 
a  meadow.  These  eggs,  which  were  just  on 
the  point  of  hatching  .  .  .  were  an  inch 
in  length  by  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
the  young  snakes  were  5.13  inches  long." 

As  to  the  hognose  {HeterodoJi^.,  its  eggs 
have  been  reported  in  May,  July,  August 
(30th),  and  September;  and  Mr.  O.  P.  Hay 
(Proc.  Nat.  Museum,  1892),  remarks:  "I 
think  that  this  species,  like  most  other 
species,  produce  their  young  rather  late 
in  the  season;  but  I  see  no  reason  for 
not  believing  that  some  individuals  may 
not  bear  their  eggs  over  the  winter  and 
lay  them  in  the  spring." 

The  toads  go  into  hibernation  this 
month  —  earliest  of  their  race.  Young 
salamanders  complete  their  metamor- 
phoses, and  the  green  newts  lose  their 
gills  and  go  ashore,  where  their  "  color 
gradually  changes  from  an  olive-green  to 


September  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


207 


brownish-red,  and  finally,  during  the  same 
season,  assumes  a  bright  yellowish-red." 

Among  the  fishes  the  sand -flounder 
and  calico  -  bass,  or  cloverlip,  become 
prevalent,  and  the  spot,  or  Lafayette,  ap- 
pears. Sword-fish  leave  the  coast,  and 
sheep's-heads  disappear  southward  from 
the  bays.  Young  black-bass  return  in- 
shore from  deep  water,  and  the  sea-horses 
produce  their  young  among  the  eel-grass 
in  northern  bays.  In  the  southerly  moun- 
tains brook-trout  are  spawning,  but  in  New 
England  and  the  more  northerly  districts 
October  is  the  breeding-month  for  this 
charming  species.  In  September  they  are 
at  their  best  in  the  northern  lakes. 

Among  mollusks.  the  most  notable 
event  of  the  month  is  the  shoreward  ap- 
proach of  the  scallops,  and  the  beginning 
of  their  catching  for  market ;  but  certain 
other  mollusks  and  marine  invertebrates 
discharge  their  eggs  in  the  autumn. 

Insect  life  is  still  rampant  in  all  its 
forms,  but  the  entomologist  sees  seasonal 
peculiarities.  He  notes  the  reappearance, 
as  a  second  brood,  of  many  butterflies  and 
moths  that  he  has  not  seen  since  early 
summer.  Certain  late  larvae  are  busy 
and  destructive.  Those  of  a  great  hawk 
moth  are  feeding  on  the  pine-needles  ; 
the  silk-worms  begin  before  the  month  is 
out  to  form  their  cocoons.Tind  such  pests 
as  the  army-worm  appear  this  month, 
when  they  come  at  all  ;  while  everybody 
takes  note  that  the  grass  is  full  of  crick- 


September  20 


September  21 


2o8 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  22 


ets,  and  that  the  trees  are  populous  with 
locusts,  whose  stridulation  keeps  us  awake 
half  the  night  to  listen  to  their  incessant 
disputation  over  whatever  it  was  that 
kilty  did  or  didn't. 

Mole  crickets  make  a  great  part  of  this 
noise,  filling  the  air  at  night  "with  an 
unceasing  dissyllabic  thrill  from  early 
August  till  after  frost." 

Ants  become  prominent  now  also, 
swarming,  as  a  rule,  early  this  month. 
Our  most  common  ant  is  the  typical  little 
red  one  {Formica  saiigiimea),  which  also 
exists  in  Europe  and  Africa.  In  this  coun- 
try it  throws  up  hillocks  often  a  yard  in 
diameter  and  eighteen  inches  high,  hav- 
ing many  holes,  which  are  entrances  to 
the  formicary  or  home  of  the  ant-com- 
munity beneath  the  hillock,  where  there 
is  a  labyrinth  of  galleries  and  whence 
other  galleries  and  tunnels  radiate  in  all 
directions.  In  such  a  formicary  the  work- 
ers (and  sometimes  the  winged  ants,  also) 
hibernate,  but  all  arouse  themselves  early 
in  the  spring  to  take  care  of  the  eggs  and 
larvae,  which  have  been  produced  the 
previous  autumn.  Some  species  swarm 
on  some  calm,  sultry  day  in  the  course  of 
the  summer,  but  the  common  little  yellow 
ant  of  our  door-yard,  whose  rings  of  exca- 
vated sand  -  grains  decorate  the  spaces 
between  the  stones  of  the  garden-walk, 
the  big  black  ant  that  dwells  in  decaying 
stumps  and  logs,  and  some  others,  wait  to 
swarm  until  this  month.    Thus  the  sunset 


September  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


209 


air  of  any  of  these  warm  September  days 
may  be  filled  with  shimmering  hosts  of  the 
winged  forms  in  pursuit  of  the  escaping 
queens.  This  marriage  flight  over,  the 
females  enter  their  formicaries  and  lay 
the  eggs  which  shall  produce,  next  spring, 
new  colonies  or  replenish  the  old  ;  and  all 
the  winged  ants,  having  no  further  use 
for  their  wings,  pluck  them  off  and  settle 
down  to  work  in  preparation  for  the  win- 
ter. 

It  is  not  yet  too  late  to  study  the  habits 
of  many  nest -storing  wasps,  which  con- 
tinue their  summer  work  of  provisioning 
the  cells  in  which  their  young  are  to  hatch 
far  into  the  autumn.  Read  the  admirable 
and  entertaining  writings  of  Mr.  George 
W.  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  G.  Peckham  as  to 
these  habits,  and  learn  how  to  observe 
them.  Common  among  the  late  summer 
wasps  are  those  of  the  genus  Pelopceus, 
which  build  nests  of  plain  mud  in  shel- 
tered places,  and  store  them  with  various 
sorts  of  spiders.  These  are  stung  for  the 
purpose  of  overcoming  resistance,  rather 
than,  as  popularly  believed,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  paralyzing  the  victims  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  them  alive.  You  will 
find  upon  examination  of  cells  recently 
provisioned  that  while  most  of  the  spiders 
are  dead,  many  of  them  are  alive;  these 
living  spiders  die  from  day  to  day,  the 
death-rate  depending  upon  the  amount  of 
poison  that  has  been  injected  into  their 
bodies. 


September  24 


September  25 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  26 


CALENDAR  FOR  SEPTEMBER 

MAMMALS 

Woodchucks. — Begin  to  retire  to  sleep. 

Squirrels  and  Raccoons.  —  Attacking  the 
maize  ;  eating  toadstools  as  dainties. 

Afuskrats. — Beginning  winter  lodges. 

Deer. — Resorting  to  the  edges  of  ponds,  the 
bucks  freeing  their  horns  from  the  "  velvet." 

BIRDS 

Herring  Gull. — Arrives  from  the  North. 

Black  07   Dusky  Duck. — Arrives. 

Teal  Ducks.— Vass  South  last  week. 

Pintail  or  Sprigtail  Ducks.— V^^%  South  last 
fortnight. 

Broadinll,  Bluelnlled,  07  Scaup  Ducks.— 
Pass  South. 

Bitterns. — Depart  South  third  week. 

Great  Blue  Heron.— Vsisses  South. 

So7-a  Nails  and  Coots. — Pa.ss  Southward. 

Phalaropes. — Pass  Southward. 

Sandpipers  a7id  other  bay-bi7-ds. — Common. 

Mig7-atory  Ha7vks. — Arrive  from  the  North 
and  gather  into  flocks. 

Sapsucker. — Passes  vSouth  last  fortnight. 

Kinghii'd. — Departs  South  third  week. 

C7-ested  Kiuglyird  and  Olive- sided  Flycatcher. 
—Depart  South  first  fortnight. 

Rusty  Blackbi7-d. — Arrives  from  North  sec- 
ond week. 

White  -  throated  Sparrow.  —  Arrives  from 
North  third  week. 

Sno7i>bird.  —  Arrives  from  North  third 
week. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  211 


Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. — Departs  South  third  September  27 

week.  " 

Ptirple  Martin  and  Eave  S-oallo7o. —  De- 
part South  second  week. 

Barn  S^oalhno. — Departs  South  third  week. 

I'ree  Sica/Zoios. — Slowly  moving  Southward. 

Ban/e  Sxoa//o:o. — Departs  South  last  week. 

IVarbling  and  Yello-iO  ■  tliroated  Vireos. — 
Depart  South  first  week. 

Blue-xvinged  Warbler.  —  Departs  South  sec- 
ond week. 

Nashville  Warble) .  —  Departs  South  last 
week . 

Parula  Warbler. — Arrives  from  North  last 
week,  and  slowly  passes  South. 

Snvimer  Warbler. — Departs  South  last  week. 

Black-throated  Blue,  Afai^nolia,  Blackpoll, 
Blackbiirnian,  Black  -  throated  Green,  and  Yel- 
low Redpoll  Warblers. — Pass  Southward  all  the 
month. 

Chestnut  -  sided  Warble) .  —  Departs  South 
fourth  week. 

Prai)'ie  Wa)-bler.  —  Departs  South  second 
week. 

Water  Thrushes. — Pass  South  all  the  month. 

Chat,  Hooded,  lVilso)i's  Black-capped,  and  Ca- 
nadian  Warblers. — Depart  South  first  week. 

Titlark. — Arrives  from  North  third  week. 

Winter  JVroi  and  B)'ow)i  Creeper. — Arrive 
from  North  third  week. 

Veeiy. — :Departs  South  first  week. 

Gray-cheeked  and  Olive-backed  Thrushes. — 
Pass  South  last  fortnight. 

BATRACHTANS   AND    REPTILES 

jVexots. — Complete  transformations  and  leove 
the  water. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


September  28  Toads. — Go  into  hibernation. 

j^attlesjtakes.  —  Bring  forth  six  or  seven 
young. 

Copperheads. — Produce  five  to  seven  young. 

Garter  or  Ribbon  Snakes. — Produce  young. 

Water-snakes. — Produce  young. 

Hognose  and  Green  Grass  Snakes. — Lay  eggs 
and  the  eggs  hatch. 


FISHES 

Sand  Flounders. — Becomes  common. 
Calico-bass. — Becomes  prevalent . 
Spot,  or  Lafayette. — Approaches  the  shore. 
Swordfish.  — Disappears. 
Sheepshead. — Leaves  the  coast. 
Sea-horses. — Spawn  among  the  eel-grass. 
Trout.  —  In   finest  condition  for  fishing  in 
northerly  waters  ;  spawn  in  southerly  waters. 

INSECTS 

Hornets,  Wasps,  andYello7v-jackets. — Queens 
mature  in  the  nests. 

Bumble-bees. — Queens  mature  in  the  nests. 

Mud-  wasps  and  Digger  -  wasps.  —  Larvjc 
become  full  grown  ;  many  spin  cocoons. 

Ichneumon- flies. — Many  adults  still  found  ; 
earlier  stages  developing  in  connection  with  va- 
rious hosts. 

Ladybird  Beetles. — Adults  abundant. 

Black-blister  Beetles.  —  Adults  abundant  on 
golden-rod. 

Syrphid -flies. — Larvae,  pupae,  and  adults 
found  much  as  in  August. 

Drone -flies. — Adults  develop  in  numbers 
from  "  rat-tailed  "  larvae  in  ponds. 

Monarch  Butterfly. — Adults  migrate  South- 
ward. 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR  21^ 


Regal  Fiitillary  or  Idalia  Buttcrfy. — Some 
adults  still  present  and  even  laying  eggs.  Eggs 
hatch  about  a  month  from  time  of  laying,  and 
larvae  immediately  find  shelter  for  winter. 

Violet-tip  Bufterjly.  —  \d\\\i?,  of  second  brood 
appear,  going  into  hibernating  quarters  late  in 
autumn. 

Compton  Tortoise  Butterfly  {]-^\\i\\w\). — liut- 
tertlies  flying  about  borders  of  woods,  in  or- 
chards, and  along  highways. 

Gray  Conuna,  or  Progite  Butterfly. — Butter- 
flies of  second  brood  emerge  from  chrysalids, 
and  on  bright  days  fly  about. 

Hop  Merchant,  or  Comma  Butterfly. — Adults 
of  second  brood  appear  and  soon  go  into  hiber- 
nating quarters. 

Red  Admiral  Butterfly. — Adults  of  second 
brood  appear  and  generally  continue  on  the 
wing  through  October,  visiting  dahlia  and  other 
bloss-oms,  and  sipping  juices  of  decaying  fruits. 

Painted  Beauty  Butterfly.  —  Full  -  grown 
caterpillars  and  chrysalids  to  be  found  on  or 
about  everlasting  during  first  half  of  September  ; 
butterflies  appear  during  last  half  and  remain 
until  end  of  October. 

Painted  Lady  Butterfly. — Adults  of  second 
brood  appear  and  remain  until  colder  weathei 
sends  them  to  hibernating  quarters. 

Red -spotted  Purple  Butterfly.  —  Adults  of 
second  brood  on  the  wing,  and  depositing  eggs 
for  the  caterpillars  that  are  to  hibernate. 

Viceroy  Butterfly. — Larvae  construct  winter 
cases  on  twigs  of  willow  and  poplar,  and  go 
into  winter-quarters. 

Tiger  S-oallowtail.  —  Larvae  mature  and 
change  to  chrysalids.  which  remain  as  such 
until  the  following  spring. 


September  29 


214  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

September  30  Imported    Cabbage   Biitterjiy.  —  Larvae   seek 

shelter  and  change  to  chrysalids,  to  remain  in 
that  condition  until  the  following  spring. 

Clouded  Sidplnir  Biitterjiy.  —  Adults  com- 
mon, more  or  less  worn,  especially  in  latter  part 
of  autumn. 

Green  Clouded  Swallon'tail. — Larvae  of  sec- 
ond brood  mature  and  change  to  chrysalids, 
remaining  in  this  condition  through  the  winter. 

Black  Siuallowtail,  or  Asterias  Butterfly. — 
Larvae  mature  and  change  to  chry^salids,  in 
which  condition  the  insect  passes  the  winter. 

Cecropia  and  other  Large  Moths. — Larvae 
spin  cocoons  upon  or  Deneath  the  food-plant. 
Change  to  pupae  within  the  cocoons. 

Sphinx  Moths. — Larvae  of  manyspeciesgointo 
the  ground,  where  they  pupate  in  earthen  cells. 

Leaf-hoppers  and  Tioig- hoppers. — Adults  still 
common. 

Aphides,  or  Plant-lice. — Sexed  generations 
appear  ;  winter  eggs  deposited  about  buds  and 
on  leaves  of  perennial  herbs,  ovipositing  being 
continued  through  October. 

Locusts,  or  Grasshoppers. — Adults  continue 
to  lay  eggs  during  first  part  of  month  ;  many  die 
before  end  of  month,  though  many  are  still  to 
be  found  in  October. 

Tree  Crickets. — Adults  lay  rows  of  eggs  in 
canes  of  raspi^erries  and  blackberries,  and  in 
twigs  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

Black  Crickets. — Abundant,  females  deposit- 
ing eggs  in  the  ground  ;  many  live  on  until  the 
advent  of  cold  weather. 

Katydids. — Adults  still  present,  laying  eggs. 

Dragon-flies  and  Damsel-flAes. — Still  found 
though  less  abundant  towards  the  end  of  the 
month. 


OCTOBER 


Some  forest  rill, 

With  leaves  and  water  rust  o'erspread 
That  seemed  an  amber  light  to  shed 
On  all  was  shadowed  there." 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  217 


OCTOBER 

Probably  most  of  my  readers  would  October  i 

vote  for  October  if  they  were  asked  to 
choose  the  finest  month  of  the  American 
circle  of  the  year.  The  direct  and  blaz- 
ing rays  of  the  summer  sun  now  slant 
only  warmly  upon  the  earth,  and  the  cool 
nights  bring  refreshing  slumber  and  put 
an  end  to  insect  annoyances.  This  me- 
dian temperature  promotes  steadiness  of 
weather,  when  lovely  golden  days  and 
clear  nights  are  likely  to  follow  one  an- 
other in  pleasant  regularity ;  and  yet  no 
one  is  disturbed  by  the  drouth,  for  no 
longer  are  growing  fields  or  gardens  in 
need  of  quickening  showers,  and  all  are 
confident  that  November  will  replenish 
the  springs  preparatory  to  winter. 

Now,  by  a  curious  analogy,  with  the 
daily  glories  of  sunrise  repeated  at  even- 
ing in  the  sunset  glow,  the  woods  and 
fields  that  have  been  green  or  sere 
through  midsummer  put  on  colors  as  rich 
and  varied  as  were  worn  in  the  gayest 
weeks  of  spring;  only  now  it  is  not  a 
multitude  of  brilliant  flowers  that  enrich 
the  landscape,  but  a  greater  and  more  ex- 
tensive display  of  gaudy  leaves.  "  The 
increasing  scarlet  and  yellow  tints  around 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  2 


the  meadows  and  river  remind  me  of 
the  opening  of  a  vast  flower-bud.  They 
are  the  petals  of  its  corolla,  which  are  of 
the  width  of  the  valley's.  It  is  the  flower 
of  autumn,  whose  expanding  bud  just  be- 
gins to  blush." 

The  universal  greenness  of  plants  is 
due  to  the  presence  of  a  complex  pigment 
called  chlorophyll,  the  varying  abundance 
and  mixtures  of  which  give  the  diversified 
greens  of  foliage.  It  is  most  abundant 
and  important  to  the  plant  when  it  is 
growing  and  putting  forth  its  leaves  vig- 
orously in  the  spring  ;  and,  after  the  plant 
has  accomplished  its  duty  of  flowering, 
the  leaves  grow  duller  in  color  because 
the  chlorophyll  has  begun  to  be  absorbed. 
This  goes  on  until  finally,  when  autumn 
comes,  all  or  most  of  the  chlorophyll  has 
disappeared  from  the  foliage  and  her- 
baceous stems,  and  has  been  trans- 
formed into  something  else  in  the  plant. 
Along  with  it,  however,  other  color- mak- 
ing materials  form  a  part  of  the  cell  sap. 
One  of  these  is  tannin,  present  in  all 
plants,  especially  in  woody  ones,  and  giv- 
ing rise  under  the  influence  of  growth  and 
chemical  influences  to  a  class  of  pigments 
called  anthocyans,  which  furnish  a  range 
of  purple,  red,  and  brown  tints.  When 
the  green  chlorophyll  disappears  these 
other  colors  show  themselves  in  the  foli- 
age, and  their  varying  intensity,  mingling 
and  changing  under  the  chemistry  of  sun- 
shine,  air,  rain,   and    frost,    furnish    the 


October  3 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


219 


hues  of  autumn,  and  do  it  out  of  the 
same  materials  that,  acted  upon  in  a 
different  way,  and  under  other  circum- 
stances, make  the  flower  tints  of  spring. 
The  petals  of  the  rose,  the  brown  leaves  of 
its  bush,  and  its  scarlet  seed  case,  or"  hip," 
which  remains  to  glow  against  the  snow 
and  feed  the  birds,  are  all  painted  from 
the  same  palette,  but  by  different  brushes. 

Another  material  assisting  in  produc- 
ing bright  colors  is  the  fatty  particles  in 
the  plant  juices,  which,  when  the  chloro- 
phyll retreats.,  appear  upon  or  near  the 
surface,  and  give  a  yellow  or  reddish 
tinge  to  the  stems  and  leaves,  and  some- 
times to  the  bark  and  seeds. 

"  How  interesting  now,"  exclaims  the 
Sage  of  Walden,  "  by  wall-sides  and  on 
open  springy  hill-sides,  the  large  strag- 
gling tufts  of  the  Dicksonia  fern  above 
the  leaf-strewn  green  sward — the  cold  fall- 
green  sward  !  ,  ,  .  Long,  handsome,  lan- 
ceolate green  fronds  pointing  in  every 
direction,  recurved  and  full  of  fruit,  inter- 
mixed with  yellowish  and  sere  brown  and 
shrivelled  ones,  the  whole  clump  per- 
chance strewn  with  fallen  and  withered 
maple  leaves,  and  over-topped  by  now 
withered  and  unnoticed  Osmundias." 

Now  is  the  time  to  go  nutting;  and 
what  in  the  country  boy's  experience 
equals  that,  from  January  to  December  .'' 
But  no  matter  how  early  the  happy  ur- 
chin seeks  the  hickory  he  has  been  watch- 
ing, or  the  butternut  or  walnut  left  grow- 


October  4 


October  5 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  6 


ing  by  the  pasture  fence,  or  the  grove  of 
chestnuts  on  the  hill-side,  he  finds  that 
other  nutters  are  ahead  of  him.  Chip- 
munks race  along  the  fences  by  the  lane, 
their  cheeks  full  of  beechnuts  and  acorns, 
and  disappear  down  some  hole  to  deposit 
their  store  and  creep  out  when  they 
know  by  his  whistling  that  the  lad  has 
gone  past  and  the  way  is  clear.  They  are 
earliest  of  the  squirrels  to  prepare  their 
provender,  making  hundreds  of  journeys, 
with  cheeks  stuffed  with  all  sorts  of  good 
things;  for  before  the  end  of  the  month 
(at  least  in  the  colder  regions)  they  will 
no  longer  care  to  brave  the  chilly  air,  un- 
less it  be  for  an  hour  or  two  at  noon,  but 
will  want  to  curl  up  in  their  warm  little 
caves  and  begin  to  subsist  on  their  larder. 

As  the  boy  climbs  the  fence  and  turns 
into  the  woods,  pausing  a  moment  to 
whistle  back  to  Bob  White,  who  calls 
from  the  stubble-field  where  bands  of 
sparrows  are  drifting  about  like  blown 
leaves,  he  hears  a  rustling  in  the  under- 
brush, and  sees  a  gray  squirrel  sitting  up 
under  a  big  oak,  clutching  an  acorn  in  the 
little  paws  that  are  held  so  prettily  to  his 
breast  and  waiting  breathlessly  to  learn  if 
there  is  any  danger. 

The  boy  sits  still  upon  the  top  rail  and 
watches  the  animal.  Satisfied  that  he 
has  nothing  to  fear,  the  gray  drops  down 
on  all  fours  and  begins  scratching  among 
the  leaves,  the  white  border  of  his  plume- 
like tail  rippling  in  the  clear  light,  and  ris- 


October  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


ing  higher  and  higher  as  the  leaves  fly 
backward  and  the  head  disappears  from 
sight.  Presently  the  squirrel  reappears, 
and,  turning  about,  scratches  the  leaves 
and  soil  back  again,  pats  them  down  with 
his  feet,  then  runs  away  and  up  a  tree,  cack- 
ling like  a  proud  young  chanticleer.  The 
boy  goes  over  to  see  what  has  been  done, 
but  finds  it  a  little  difficult  to  discover 
the  place  where  the  squirrel  had  been  dig- 
ging. When  he  succeeds,  he  paws  away 
the  loose  soil  until  he  finds,  perhaps  three 
inches  deep,  a  single  big  acorn,  the  one 
the  little  creature  had  been  carrying.  Did 
he  care  to,  and  know  enough,  he  might 
find  perhaps  fifty  others  buried  here  and 
there  in  the  neighborhood,  for  it  is  thus, 
one  by  one,  that  the  gray  squirrel  hides 
his  winter  supply  of  food.  It  is  a  very 
simple  method,  and  a  safe  one  ;  but  how 
does  the  creature  (who  does  not  hiber- 
nate at  all,  even  in  the  coldest  ^veather) 
ever  recover  these  nuts  and  acorns  when 
he  wants  them }  Memory,  undoubt- 
edly, helps  him  a  great  deal ;  but  he  is 
guided  mainly,  it  seems,  by  the  sense  of 
smell.  At  any  rate,  a  good  many  of 
them  are  found,  even  when  covered  with 
two  or  three  feet  of  snow,  or  needing 
to  be  dug  out  of  ground  frozen  into 
hard  ice  ;  on  the  other  hand,  many  are 
never  exhumed,  but  simply  rot,  or,  when 
circumstances  favor,  sprout  into  sap- 
lings. The  gray  squirrel  is  perhaps 
the   foremost  American  tree  planter,  and 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  lo 


should  be  the  special  symbol  of  Arbor 
Day. 

Much  more  anxiously  busy  at  this  sea- 
son are  the  red  squirrels,  for  either  they 
feel  their  weakness  to  cope  with  the  fam- 
ine of  the  snowy  months,  or  have  a  greater 
prudence.  This  ever  active,  ever  jolly, 
ever  mischievous  little  rascal  does  not  hi- 
bernate, and  thus  do  without  food,  but 
diligently  prepares  his  home  and  his  larder 
so  that  when  bad  weather  comes  he  may 
be  well  provided  for.  In  the  Southern 
States,  of  course,  little  such  precaution  is 
necessary.  There  are  few  days  when  the 
weather  will  not  permit  him  to  go  abroad, 
and  few  places  where  he  cannot  get  some- 
thing to  eat  without  taking  much  trouble 
to  save  it  up.  In  the  North,  however, 
where  the  winter  weather  is  long  and 
rigorous,  he  must  be  more  provident,  al- 
though able  to  be  out  most  days,  no  mat- 
ter how  cold.  Choosing  some  cranny  in  a 
hollow  tree,  or,  better  yet,  an  old  wood- 
pecker's hole,  he  fills  it  full  of  grass  and 
leaves,  thus  making  a  nest  in  which, 
wrapped  in  the  rug  of  his  own  furry  tail, 
he  can  defy  even  Canadian  frost. 

"When  the  summer  has  grown  old," 
says  Merriam,  speaking  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  "  and  the  mellow  days  of  early 
autumn  cast  a  glow  of  color  over  the 
sumac  and  woodbine,  the  prudent  squirrel 
has  commenced  to  gather  the  provisions 
for  his  winter  use.  Impatient  to  make 
sure  of  his  store,  he  does  not  wait  for  the 


October  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


nuts  to  ripen  and  fall,  but  cuts  the  stems 
by  which  they  hang,  till  many  lie  scattered 
on  the  ground  below.  He  then  descends 
and  collects  them  in  a  heap  between,  or 
near,  the  roots  of  the  trees;  or,  if  he 
thinks  that  too  exposed,  carries  them  di- 
rectly to  some  hollow  log  or  stump. 
Later  in  the  season,  when  the  mast  is  fully 
ripe,  and  the  danger  from  mould  is  past, 
he  fills  the  hollows  of  the  limbs  and  trees 
about  his  nest,  and  often  secretes  reserve 
hoards  in  his  burrows  in  the  earth.  In  the 
evergreen  forests  he  lays  up  supplies  of 
cones.  .  .  .  He  cuts  the  yet  green  cones 
from  the  branches,  and,  when  a  sufficient 
number  have  fallen,  takes  them  to  some 
hiding-place  to  ripen  for  his  winter's  fare." 

This  is  only  a  glimpse  of  the  careful 
and  skilful  economy  practised  by  many  of 
the  small  rodents  at  this  season  of  plenty. 

The  birds  of  the  season  are  chiefly 
those  which  can  subsist  on  seeds  and 
fruit  mainly,  if  not  wholly.  "The  birds 
seem  to  delight  in  these  first  fine  days  of 
the  fall,"  Thoreau  observes ;  "  in  the  warm 
hazy  light — robins,  bluebirds  (in  families 
on  the  almost  bare  elms),  phoebes,  and 
probably  purple  finches.  I  hear  half- 
strains  from  many  of  them,  as  the  song- 
sparrows,  bluebirds,  etc.,  and  the  sweet 
p he-be  of  the  chickadee. 

"  1  see  and  hear  probably  flocks  of 
grackles  with  their  split  and  shuffling 
note,  but  no  redu-ings  for  a  longtime: 
chipbirds  [tree-sparrows.^]  .  .  .  baywings 


224 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  14 


on  the  walls  and  fences,  and  the  yellow- 
browed  sparrow.  .  ,  Going  over  the  large 
hill -side  stubble-field  west  of  Holden 
Wood,  I  start  up  a  large  flock  of  shore 
larks,  hear  their  sveet,  si'eet,  and  sveet, 
sveet,  sveet,  and  see  their  tails  dark  be- 
neath. They  are  very  wary,  and  run  in 
the  stubble  for  the  most  part  invisible." 

For  all  these  birds  the  weeds  and 
grasses  bear  a  sure  and  bountiful  harvest, 
and  bush  and  vine  are  filled  with  berries. 
Think  what  a  host  of  sumachs  await  the 
coming  of  birds  to  feast  upon  their  vel- 
vety masses  of  seeds;  and  what  millions 
of  acorns  for  the  woodpeckers,  and  nut- 
hatches, and  jays!  Along  the  old  fences 
rise  the  thorny  barberry  bushes,  scarlet 
with  tart  fruit  and  the  rich  offerings  of 
choke-cherry  and  sweetbrier.  The  frosts 
open  the  chestnut  burrs,  and  the  nuts 
patter  down,  to  the  delight  of  jays  and 
squirrels — and  boys ;  and  the  berries  of 
the  red  cedars  are  turning  ripe  and  pur- 
ple, while  the  blueberry  bushes  still  hold 
much  sweet  though  half-shrivelled  fruit. 
Of  the  weeds,  how  many  bear  tiny  pods 
and  vessels  full  of  seeds,  ready  to  pop 
open  at  a  touch  and  reveal  their  treasures, 
or  to  cling  to  whatever  touches  them  and 
be  carried  away ! 

The  heyday  of  the  deer  comes  now. 
By  the  time  October  opens,  the  antlers  oi 
the  deer  have  been  perfected,  and  the 
bucks  are  now  ranging  the  forest  wooing 
the  does   and   fighting  ?11  rivals  ;    their 


October  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


necks  are  swollen,  and  their  tempers  so 
uncertain  that  now  and  then  they  will 
charge  even  a  man,  should  they  encounter 
him,  not  only  stabbing  with  the  antlers, 
but  striking  viciously  with  the  fore-hoofs. 
In  the  clear  cool  water  of  the  northern 
ponds  and  streams,  now,  the  salmonoid 
fishes  are  depositing  their  spawn— sal- 
mon, trout,  winninish,  and  the  rest.  The 
trout  begin  to  spawn  about  the  second 
week  of  the  month,  and  continue  doing 
so  all  winter.  "In  midsummer,"  to  quote 
a  pleasant  summary  of  trout -life  once 
written  by  the  late  G.  Brown  Goode, 
"they  lie  in  the  bottoms  of  the  lakes 
cooled  by  springs,  in  the  channels  of 
streams,  or  in  deep  pools,  lurking  behind 
rocks  and  among  roots.  In  spring  and 
early  summer  they  feed  industriously 
among  the  rapids.  At  the  approach  of 
cold  weather  in  the  autumn  they  hasten 
to  the  clear,  shallow  water  near  the  heads 
of  the  streamlets.  It  is  at  this  time  that 
they  deposit  their  eggs  in  little  nests  in 
the  gravel,  which  the  mother -fish  has 
shaped  with  careful  industry,  fanning  out 
the  finer  particles  with  their  tails,  and 
carrying  the  larger  ones  in  their  mouths. 
After  the  eggs  are  laid  the  parent  fish  cov- 
ers them  with  gravel  and  proceeds  to  ex- 
cavate another  nest.  The  same  nests  are 
said  to  be  revisited  by  the  schools  year 
after  year." 

"  I  hear  out  towards  the    middle   [of 
Walden  Pond],  or  a  dozen  rods  from  me," 


October  i6 


October  17 


226 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


October  i8 


says  Thoreau,  under  date  of  October  3d, 
"the  plashing  made  apparently  by  shin- 
ers; for  they  look  and  shine  hke  them, 
leaping  in  schools  on  the  surface.  Many 
lift  themselves  quite  out  for  a  foot  or  two, 
but  most  rise  only  part  way  out,  twenty 
black  points  at  once.  There  are  several 
schools  indulging  in  this  sport  from  time 
to  time  as  they  swim  slowly  along.  This 
I  ascertain  by  paddling  out  to  them, 
Perhaps  they  leap  and  dance  in  the  water 
just  as  gnats  dance  in  the  air  at  present. 
I  have  seen  them  before  in  the  fall.'' 

The  streams  and  swamps  and  shores  of 
lake  and  ocean  abound  in  half -grown 
creatures  of  every  sort  that  live  in  and 
about  the  water.  Whirligigs  by  the 
thousand  dimple  the  water  of  ponds  and 
swampy  creeks,  skaters  dart  hither  and 
thither  over  the  glassy  surface,  and  above 
it  hover  those  living  gems,  the  dragon- 
flies,  rapidly  thinning  out,  however,  as  the 
cold  nights  begin  to  pinch  their  gauzy 
wings.  Along  the  seashore  fishes  and 
crustaceans,  mollusks,  and  all  creatures 


October  19 


warmer  depths. 

The  cold-blooded  reptiles  feel  the  frosty 
nights  and  retire  to  their  winter-quarters, 
now  and  then  a  snake  or  turtle  being 
lured  forth  by  some  Indian  summer 
warmth.  Latest  of  them  to  retire,  per- 
haps, is  Pickering's  hyla,  whose  sharp 
peep  resounds  through  the  autumn  woods, 
until    really    bad    weather    arrives,    long 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  227 

after  the  larger  changeable  tree-toad  has  October  20 

been  silenced.  ' 

As  the  October  days  grow  shorter  and 
the  month  draws  to  a  close,  insect  life 
lessens.  The  cicadas  cease  their  incessant 
chorus,  though  the  loud  calling  of  mole 
crickets  is  still  heard,  and  gnats  and  flies 
still  dance  in  the  golden  sunlight.  The 
butterflies  that  last  on  into  the  fall,  being 
outwardly  of  the  dull-hued  sorts,  are  in- 
conspicuous among  the  falling  and  som- 
bre foliage.  One  curiosity  of  butterfly  life 
is  often  noticeable  at  this  season  along 
the  southern  coast  in  the  habit  of  the 
milkweed  butterfly  {Ancsia  ple.xippiis)  of 
swarming  on  the  branches  of  trees  in  such 
masses  as  to  reclothe  them  apparently 
with  the  leaves  that  have  lately  fallen. 
These  hosts  of  butterflies  are  migrating. 

Crickets  are,  perhaps,  the  most  notice- 
able of  the  larger  insects,  leaping  about 
our  feet  wherever  we  go  along  the  dusty 
roads  or  in  sandy  places.  They  fall 
into  hopeless  captivity  in  little  sand-pits, 
and  tumble  headlong  into  the  water, 
where  the  pickerel  lie  in  wait  along  the 
banks  to  snatch  them  down.  It  is  amus- 
ing, also,  to  watch  them  "shinning"  up 
a  tall  bare  weed  to  get  something  on  its 
summit.  "  Their  still  larger  cousins,  the 
mole-crickets,  are  creaking  loudly  and 
incessantly  all  along  the  shore.  Others 
have  eaten  themselves  cavernous  apart- 
ments, sitting-room  and  pantry  at  once, 
in  windfall  apples." 

October  21 


228 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  22 


Aquatic  insects  are  still  lively,  but  one 
by  one  sink  to  the  bottom,  where  the 
caddis-worms  are  snug  in  the  cases  that 
will  protect  them  until  spring.  "  I  find 
caddis-cases  with  worms  in  Second  Di- 
vision Brook,"  Thoreau  notes  on  October 
2ist;  "and  what  mean  those  little  piles 
of  yellow  sand  on  dark-colored  stones  at. 
the  bottom  of  the  swift-running  water, 
kept  together  and  in  place  by  some  kind 
of  gluten,  and  looking  as  if  sprinkled  on 
the  stones,  one-eighteenth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter?  These  caddis-worms  build  a 
little  case  around  themselv^es,  and  some- 
times attach  a  few  dead  leaves  to  dis- 
guise it,  and  then  fasten  it  lightly  to  some 
swaying  grass  stem  or  blade  at  the  bot- 
tom in  swift  water,  and  these  are  their 
quarters  till  next  spring.  This  reminds 
me  that  winter  does  not  put  his  rude  fin- 
gers in  the  bottom  of  the  brooks." 

In  one  direction  the  insect  world  mani- 
fests itself  now  very  strongly,  for  this  is 
the  month  when  the  gossamer  of  spid- 
ers is  all  too  prevalent  for  our  comfort. 

Often  in  late  summer  the  bushes  are 
covered  with  threads  that  are  attached  by 
one  end  and  blow  out  in  the  wind.  These 
become  especially  numerous  in  autumn, 
and  everybody  knows  that  they  are 
threads  spun  by  spiders,  but  all  do  not 
know  how  or  why.  Small  spiders,  and 
especially  the  young  of  the  Lj'cosa  family 
(the  running  spiders),  are  very  fond  now 
of  flying,  apparently  "just  for  fun."  They 


October  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


22<j 


will  crawl  to  the  top  of  a  bush  or  fence,  to 
some  exposed  point,  place  all  their  feet  in 
a  bunch,  with  the  head  held  down  and 
the  hinder  part  of  the  body  up,  and  then 
exude  from  the  spinning  apparatus  at  the 
tip  of  the  abdomen  a  thread,  or  sometimes 
a  brush-like  cluster  of  threads,  which  is 
caught  by  the  breeze  and  floats  out  as  it 
lengthens,  until  finally  it  has  buoyancy 
enough  to  carry  the  spider  away  aloft  out 
of  sight,  or  drift  him  off  across  the  country 
until  he  strikes  some  foothold  and  stops. 
Then  he  may  simply  rest  and  soon  fiy  on 
again,  or  he  may  cut  loose  and  let  his 
thread  go  on  wherever  the  wind  will  carry 
it. 

This  is  the  explanation  of  the  gossamer 
threads  that  in  autumn  cling  to  our  clothes 
and  faces  and  shimmer  in  the  sunlight. 
Mr.  Emerton,theauthorof  anexcellentlit- 
tlebookonAmericanspiders.alsosaysthat 
it  is  a  common  habit  with  some  spiders, 
especially  in  October,  to  draw  out  a  thread 
behind  them  as  they  walk  along,  and 
that  this  accounts  for  the  attached  threads 
commonly  seen  lacing  together  the  pick- 
ets of  a  fence,  or  covering  a  field  of  grass, 
or  clinging  to  the  side  of  a  barn.  Another 
common  habit  with  spiders  is  to  let  them- 
selves down  by  threads  from  the  branches 
of  trees  and  so  forth  to  the  ground,  and 
these  hanging  cables  are  blown  about  to 
add  to  the  tenuous,  silvery  gossamer  that 
is  one  of  the  exquisite  ornaments  of  this 
most  delightful  of  months. 


October  24 


October  25 


230 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


October  26 


CALENDAR  FOR   OCTOBER 

MAMMALS 
Deer. — Seeking   mates   and    gathering    into 
bands. 

Fur-bearers  acquiring  their  winter  coats. 
Hibernating  mammals  disappearing. 
Squirrels. — Gathering  winter  stores  of  nuts, 
etc. 

Mtiskrats. — Begin  their  winter  lodges. 
(See  also  September  and  November) 


BIRDS 

Teals,  Wood  Ducks,  and  Ruddy  Due  Jzs. — Pass 
South  first  fortnight. 

Red-head.  —  Passes  South  irregularly. 

Golden-eye  and  Biiffle  -  head. — Depart  last 
fortnight. 

Scoter  Ducks. — Arrive  from  the  North. 

Canada  Geese. — Fly  southward  continuously. 

Great  Blue  Heron.  —  Departs  South  irregu- 
larly. 

Little  Green  Heron. — Departs  South  first 
week. 

AHght  Heron,  or  Quazvk. — Departs  South 
last  week. 

Rails  ami  Coots. — Depart  South  first  fort- 
night. 

Phalaropes,  and  most  Bay  Birds.  —  Pass 
South. 

Marsh  Haivk,  and  other  migratory  Haivks. 
—  Pass  South  slowly  in  loose  flocks. 

Cuckoos. — Depart  South  last  fortnight. 

Sapsuckers. — Pass  South  first  fortnight. 


October  27 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


231 


W/iippooru'ills,  Night  Hawks,  and  Sioifts. — 
Depart  about  the  I5lh. 

Humming-bird. — Departs  South  last  week. 
Wood Pe7vee. — Departs  Soulh  first  week. 
Bobolink. — Departs  South  first  week. 
Coio- bird  and  Rusty  Grakle. — Depart  South 
second  week. 

Savanna  and  Vcllo-o-winged Sparroii's. — De- 
part South  third  week. 

Sea-side   Spariows.  —  Depart    South  second 
week. 

IV liite-cro7uned and  IVhite-tJiroated  Sparrows. 
—  Pass  South  last  fortnight. 

Tree  Sparroio. — Arrives  from  the  North  sec- 
ond week. 

Field  Sparrow^  Cliewink,  and  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak. — Depart  South  last  week. 

Fox  Sparrow. — Arrives  from  the  North  third 
week. 

Indigo-hird. — Departs  South  last  week. 
Scarlet  Tanager. — Departs  South  second  week. 
Tree  .S'tiw/A^tcj-.— Disa[)pear  southward  sec- 
ond week. 

jVorthern   Shrike. — Arrives  from  tlie   North 
third  week. 

Red-eyed  Vireo. — Departs  South  third  week. 
White-eyed  Vireo. — Departs  South  first  week. 
Black  -  and-  White,  Farula,  Black  -  throated 
Blue,  Magnolia,  Blackpoll,  Blackbiirnian,  and 
Redstart  Warblers. — Disappear  before  the  15th. 
Yellow  -  rump    and    Black  -  throated    Green 
Warblers. — Pass i n g  South. 
Titlark. — Arrives  from  tlie  North. 
Oven-bird  and  I\[aryla)ui  Yellow-throat.  — De- 
part South  third  week. 

Cat-bird  and   House  Wren.  —Depart    Soutli 
second  week. 


October  28 


October  29 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


October  30  Kinglets. — Arrive  from  the  North  irregularly. 

Wood  Thrush. — Departs  South  last  fort- 
night; other  thrushes  earlier. 

REPTILES   AND    BATRACHIANS 
Going  into  winter-quarters  ;  Pickering's  tree- 
toad  still  noisy. 

FISHES 

Trout  and  other  Salmonoids. — Spawning. 

INSECTS 

Brown  Wasps.  —  Queens  seek  shelter  in 
houses,  logs,  stumps,  and  other  places  for  the 
period  of  hibernation  ;  other  forms  die. 

Hornets  and  Yellozu-  Jackets. — Queens  find 
shelter  in  old  nests  or  in  other  situations  ; 
drones  and  workers  die. 

Btivible  -  bees. — Drones  and  workers  die  ; 
queens  seek  shelter  in  the  nest  or  similar  places 
on  the  ground. 

Ants. — Species  living  in  earthen  nests  retire 
to  lower  parts  of  the  nest  ;  others  inactive. 

Mttd-ioasps  and  Digger  Wasps. — The  few 
remaining  adults  die,  leaving  only  immature 
forms  in  the  cells  to  live  through  the  winter. 

Ichneiwion-Jlies. — A  few  adults  go  into  hiber- 
nating quarters  ;  many  species  winter  over  in 
the  immature  condition. 

Ground  Beetles. — Seek  shelter  under  logs. 

Ladybird  Beetles.  —  Adults  seek  shelter  in 
leaves  about  the  bases  of  trees  and  in  similar 
situations;  many  hundreds  or  even  thousands 
of  the  same  species  will  often  congregate  in 
such  a  place. 

Black  Blister  -  Beetles. — Adults  die,  leaving 
larva3  in  the  soil  to  live  through  the  winter. 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 233 

May  Beetles. — Some  larvae  change  to  pupx  October  31 

and  then  to  adults  remaining  in  pupal    cells  ; 
other  larv?e  burrow  deeper  into  the  soil. 

Long-horned  Beetles. — Larvae  commonly  bur- 
row deeper  into  the  wood. 

Hotise  i^//t'j.— Adults  seek  hibernating  quar- 
ters in  houses,  barns,  sheds,  under  bark,  etc. 

Compton  Tortoise,  Gray  Comma,  Red  Ad- 
miral, Painted  Lady,  Painted  Beauty,  and  An- 
tiopa  Butterflies.  —  Flying  more  or  less  during 

warmer  weather,  but  seeking  shelter  for  hiber-  ^ 

nation  towards  the  end  of  the  month. 

Fall  Canker-worm. — Moths  appear  and  lay 
eggs  on  twigs  of  apple  and  elm  trees. 

Cutworms. — Larv?e  find  shelter  in  the  soil  or 
beneath  rubbish  at  its  surface. 

Budworms. — I.arvx  fasten  their  silken  cases 
to  the  bark  of  twigs  near  the  buds. 


NOVEMBER 

The  year  is  dying,  and  the  trees  let  fall 
With  gentle  lapse  their  faded  leaves; 
Sheeting  the  ground  as  with  a  funeral  pall, 
Sombre  and  sad." 


I 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  237 


NOVEMBER 

November,  like  March,  is  a  struggling  November  i 

mixture  of  winter  and  summer.  The 
moods  of  the  month  vary  as  the  battle 
sways  back  and  forth  with  the  changing 
winds,  and  the  legions  of  cold  gradually 
win  their  way  in  their  advance  from  the 
•North.  In  Canada  they  are  well  en- 
camped before  the  month  is  done,  and  the 
snowdrifts,  like  white  tents,  are  heaped 
upon  the  plains  and  clog  the  paths  of  the 
woods;  but  in  the  Middle  States  only 
flurries  of  snow  are  usually  seen,  and 
frosts  are  rarely  hard,  though  when  I  was 
a  boy  in  southern  Michigan  we  expected 
skating  on  Thanksgiving  Day. 

Tradition  makes  November  a  month  of 

"  Wailing  winds  and  naked  woods 
And  meadows  brown  and  sere." 

But  this  is  largely  English  tradition,  and 
doesn't  fit  our  drier  and  sunnier  climate, 
especially  in  the  middle  latitudes.  It  often 
happens  that  the  greater  part  of  the  month 
is  dry,  cool,  yet  balmy  and  still  and  sweet- 
ly sunny,  so  that  it  is  as  delightful  to  be 
out-of-doors  as  in  May. 

Yet  how  different  is  the  landscape  and 


23» 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


November  2 


the  feeling  of  the  world  from  that  in 
spring.  There  is  perhaps  more  color  in 
the  picture  of  the  woods  and  waters  than 
in  spring,  but  in  place  of  the  lush,  strong 
paintingof  the  fresh  beginnings  of  the  year 
there  are  now  the  [nellow  tints  that  come 
with  age  and  decline  of  vitality.  Look,  for 
mstance,  at  such  a  carpet  as  is  spread  un- 
der the  cloudless  sky  over  a  level  expanse 
like  the  great  Hackensack  meadows 
near  New  York,  or  some  of  the  bay-side 
marshes  along  the  Chesapeake.  The  reeds 
undulate  beneath  the  breeze,  with  rust- 
lings and  clickings,  in  response  to  the 
white-edged  wavelets  that  laugh  along 
their  stems.  "  Broad  flickerings  of  subtle 
color-change,"  as  I  jotted  into  my  note- 
book one  day,  "  swept  over  the  vast  level 
morass.  They  were  as  delicate  as  the 
pulsations  of  the  aurora  or  of  the  summer 
sea,  when  all  the  flags  turned  now  their 
blades,  now  their  edges,  under  the  alter- 
nating pressure  of  the  wind,  or  revealed  for 
an  instant  the  gleaming  yellow  of  a  thou- 
sand crowded  stems ;  and  nearer  by  were 
white  feathery  tufts  and  patches  of  warm 
color,  where  different  plants  and  heather 
bushes  grew,  or  the  bright  green  of  ditch 
margins  traced  in  emerald  the  devious 
course  of  some  tidal  rivulet." 

In  such  places  the  water  has  not  yet 
been  chilled  much  by  the  frosts  that  have 
browned  and  crinkled  the  flags  and  per- 
fected the  seeds,  and  life  goes  on  much  as 
in  summer,  but  more  quietly.     The  fishes 


November  3 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


23.; 


are  active,  the  amphibians  awake  but  si- 
lent, the  turtles  sleepily  cluster  upon  dry 
spots,  or  climb  upon  exposed  logs  and 
snags  to  bask  in  the  sun,  and  occasionally 
snakes  creep  out  upon  the  shore  to  coil 
sluggishly  on  the  warm  rocks  until  the 
colder  nights  of  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  drive  them  underground,  or  force 
them  into  rotten  stumps  and  hollow  logs, 
where  they  will  knot  themselves  mto  a 
torpid  tangle  until  spring.  Few  serpents 
are  to  be  seen  after  Thanksgiving  Day. 

In  this  month  the  mackerel -fishing 
ends,  and  such  migrants  as  the  bluefish, 
sheep'shead,  sea-bass,  and  kingfish  dis- 
appear, so  that  sea-shore  angling  is  no 
longer  attractiv^e  in  the  North.  The  cod- 
fishing,  however,  is  beginning  to  be  at  its 
height,  for  at  this  season  the  cod  visits 
the  shallow  waters  of  northern  bays  to 
deposit  its  eggs  on  the  sandy  banks  and 
rocky  ledges,  and  remains  near  them  all 
winter.  Inland  the  trout  and  its  kindred 
are  also  on  their  spawning-beds— at  the 
heads  of  streams,  or  beneath  the  rapidly 
forming  ice  of  northern  lakes. 

Among  the  mammals,  those  which  hi- 
bernate have  mostly  gone  to  rest,  except, 
perhaps,  the  bears  ;  and  the  squirrels  are 
industriously  completing  their  winter 
stores,  while  muskrat  and  beaver  are 
putting  the  finishing  touches  to  their 
houses.  Sometimes,  however,  the  musk- 
rats  do  not  begin  to  build  until  now,  and 
then  proceed  slowly,  keeping  pace  pretty 


November  4 


November  5 


240 


NATURE- S   CALENDAR 


November  6 


well  with  the  rising  water.  "  The  musk- 
rats  have  added  a  new  story  to  their 
houses  since  the  last  flood,"  Thoreau 
noted  on  one  9th  of  November.  "  They 
are  uncommonly  high  ;  I  think  full  four 
feet  by  fiv^e  or  more  in  diameter,  a  heap- 
ing cart-load.  ...  I  opened  one.  It  was 
composed  of  coarse  -  grass,  pontederia 
stems,  etc.,  not  altogether  in  mouthfuls. 
This  was  three  and  a  half  feet  above 
water,  others  quite  four.  After  taking 
off  a  foot  I  came  to  the  chamber.  It 
was  a  regularly  formed  oval  or  elliptical 
chamber,  about  eighteen  inches  the  long- 
est way,  and  seven  or  eight  inches  deep, 
shaped  like  a  pebble,  with  smooth  w^alls 
of  the  weeds,  and  bottomed  or  bedded 
with  a  very  little  drier  grass — a  mere  coat- 
ing of  it.  It  would  hold  four  or  live,  close- 
ly packed.  The  entrance,  eight  or  nine 
inches  wide,  led  directly  from  the  water 
at  an  angle  of  45°,  and  the  walls  are  of 
such  breadth  at  the  bottom  that  the  wa- 
ter in  the  gallery  probably  never  freezes." 
But  the  muskrat  houses  vary  greatly 
in  situation,  form,  and  material ;  and  fre- 
quently the  animals  will  utilize  a  hollow 
stump,  standing  beside  the  water,  and 
able  to  be  entered  from  beneath  the  sur- 
face. In  such  a  case  they  will  roof  over 
and  cover  up  the  stump  until  it  is  hidden 
altogether.  I  have  read  of  a  pair  of  musk- 
rats  doin;^  the  same  thing  with  a  stranded 
barrel  that  stood  on  its  end  in  the  water. 
Their  greatest  anxiety  is  in  regard  to  the 


November  7 


NATURE  S   CALENDAR 


stability  of  the  structure,  and  hence  they 
often  erect  their  houses  upon  platforms 
laid  in  a  clump  of  swamp  trees,  like  the 
black  alder.  Such  architects,  we  are  told 
by  a  New  England  observer,  "  exhibit  a 
good  deal  of  the  constructive  ability  of 
the  beaver,  cutting  their  wood  on  shore 
in  a  similar  manner,  and  often  towing  it 
long  distances  to  their  building  sites, 
where  they  wattle  it  firmly  between  the 
alder  stems  for  a  foundation."  Such  well- 
placed  cabins,  composed  mainly  of  cat- 
tails and  twigs,  may  last  and  be  continu- 
ously occupied  for  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

When  no  fixed  supports  are  taken  ad- 
vantage of,  the  ground  is  usually  care- 
fully prepared  for  a  foundation.  Choos- 
ing, for  example,  the  end  of  a  peninsula 
reaching  into  a  marshy  stream,  the  rats 
will  dig  off  the  soil  to  the  level  of  the 
hard  bottom  of  the  stream,  and  begin 
work  upon  this  denuded  surface,  which 
will  support  a  part  of  the  house,  while  the 
other  half  rests  upon  the  bottom  of  the 
creek.  The  materials  will  be  gathered 
from  the  immediate  neighborhood,  thus 
clearing  a  considerable  space  about  it.  In 
some  cases  the  foundation  material  con- 
sists of  reeds  and  sticks  laid  regularly  in 
a  radiating  manner  from  the  centre  to  the 
circumference,  and  weighted  wnth  mud, 
making  the  firmest  possible  underpinning. 

The  study  of  the  architecture  of  the 
muskrat  derives  special  interest  from  the 
popular  belief    that   the  height  of  their 


241 
November  8 


November  9 


242  •  NATURE'S   CALENDAR 

November  lo  houses  indicates  the  length    or  rigor  of 

the   winter   to   come.     Thus    it    is    said 

that  the  muskrats  build  their  houses 
twenty  inches  higher  and  very  much 
warmer  in  early  and  long  winters  than 
in  short  ones.  This  idea  gained  cre- 
dence from  the  observation  of  their 
-  habit  of  increasing  the  height  of  their 
houses  as  autumn  advances,  until  the 
top  is  well  above  the  ordinary  level  of 
the  water  or  ice.  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  took  the  trouble  to  make 
careful  notes  of  this  matter  for  twenty 
years,  and  found  no  relation  whatever 
between  the  size  and  structure  of  the 
houses  and  the  character  of  the  winter. 

Many  weather  prognostications  relate 
to  this  month.  Thus  there  is  a  quatrain, 
about  the  whiteness  of  a  goose's  breast- 
bone, often  repeated  by  old  farmers : 

"  If  the  November  goose  bone  be  thick' 
So  will  the  winter  weather  be; 
If  the  November  goose  bone  be  thin 
So  will  the  winter  weather  be." 

A  heavy  November  snow,  they  say  in 
New  England,  will  last  until  April;  and 
on  the  northern  lakes  they  firmly  be- 
lieve that  thunder  and  lightning  in  No- 
vember foretells  that  the  lakes  will  re- 
main open  until  Christmas.  There  is 
also  a  proverb  ; 

"As  is  the  wind  in  the  month  of  November, 
so  will  it  be  in  the  month  of  December." 


November  ii 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


'-^43 


The  saying  that  if  we  don't  get  our 
Indian  summer  in  November  we  will  get 
it  in  winter  is  of  the  same  piece.  Other 
prognostics  are : 

"  As  November  2ist,  so  the  winter." 
"As  November,  so  the  following  March." 
"  Thunder  in   November  indicates  a  fertile 
year  to  come." 

"  November   take  flail  ; 
Let  ships  no  more  sail." 

The  deer  wander  in  family  parties,  fat- 
tening upon  food  to  be  found  in  the 
w^oods,  and  especially  upon  what  is  left 
of  the  beech-mast.  This  is  the  month 
when  the  bucks  seek  their  mates,  and 
during  this  period  their  necks  become 
enormously  enlarged  and  their  whole  de- 
meanor is  changed.  "  Instead  of  treading 
cautiously  through  the  forest,"  Merriam 
tells  us,  "they  now  rush  wildly  about, 
tracking  the  does  by  the  scent ;  and  when 
two  or  more  bucks  meet  fierce  conflicts 
ensue.  In  these  engagements  their  ant- 
lers sometimes  become  interlocked,  so 
that  the  combatants  cannot  free  them- 
selves, and  both  must  inevitably  perish. 
Audubon  and  Bachman  state  that  they 
once  saw  three  pairs  of  horns  thus  inter- 
locked. What  a  wretched  trio  this  must 
have  been,  slowly  starving  in  the  midst 
of  plenty  ! 

"At  this  season  the  bucks  not  only 
fight  among  themselves,  but  occasionally 


November  12 


November  13 


244 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


November  14 


attack  man,  and  more  than  one  unfort- 
unate person  has  been  gored  to  death  by 
them.  In  battle  they  make  use  of- their 
horns,  and  also  of  the  fore-feet,  whose 
sharp  hoofs  are  capable  of  inflicting  ter- 
rible wounds.  I  was  once  sitting  quietly 
on  a  log  in  a  deer-park  when  a  buck  ap- 
proached, and,  making  a  sudden  spring, 
dealt  me  such  a  powerful  blow  on  the 
head  with  the  hoofs  of  his  fore-feet  as  to 
render  me  unconscious.  No  sooner  was 
I  thrown  upon  the  ground  than  the  vi- 
cious beast  sprang  upon  me,  and  would 
doubtless  have  killed  me  outright  had  it 
not  been  for  the  intervention  of  a  man 
who  rushed  at  him  with  a  club  and  drove 
him  back." 

Fur-bearers  have  acquired  their  winter 
coats,  and  their  pelts  are  in  fine  condition 
before  the  end  of  the  month.  The  polar 
hare  has  turned  white;  but  the  ermine 
keeps  his  brown  coat  until  the  arrival  of 
snow. 

Now  is  the  time  to  study  the  earth's 
preparation  for  winter.  The  sap  which 
has  been  pumped  by  the  vigorous  process 
of  growth  into  the  extremities  of  herbs, 
shrubs,  and  trees,  carrying  stems  to  their 
utmost  height,  spreading  leaves  innumer- 
able, increasing  the  bigness  of  all  the 
bushes  and  trees  by  pushing  out  thou- 
sands of  twigs  is  ceasing  this  work,  with- 
drawing from  leaves  and  twigs  and  bark, 
and  is  no  longer  produced  by  the  roots. 
Growth  stops,  and  the  green  coloring  mat- 


November  15 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


245 


ter  undergoes  a  change  similar  to  decay, 
which  produces  the  other  colors  charac- 
teristic of  the  season. 

October's  brilliance  has  passed  now,  yet 
the  essence  of  its  color  remains,  in  this 
sunset  of  the  year,  as  the  sky  is  often 
richly  reddened  after  the  sun  has  quite 
departed.  The  woods  are  far  from  leaf- 
less, but  they  have  a  much  darker  tone 
than  in  summer,  and  except  where  pines 
or  hemlocks  stand  in  copses,  there  is  no 
distinct  green.  Instead,  one  sees  browns 
and  purples  passing  into  one  another  by 
the  loveliest  gradations  or  pleasingly 
mingled. 

It  is  when  one  enters  the  woods,  how- 
ever, that  he  begins  to  see  that  somethmg 
new  is  to  be  learned  of  them  at  this  sea- 
son. Now  is  the  time  to  study  barks. 
One  ought  to  know  all  the  trees  by  their 
barks,  and  by  the  shape  and  manner  of 
forking  of  the  branches  —  the  feathery, 
brushlike  head  of  the  birch;  the  ugly 
skeleton  of  the  powdery-skinned  poplars; 
the  curled-in  branches  and  twigs  of  the 
dogwood,  are  only  suggestions  of  how 
characteristic  is  form  in  each  sort  of  tree 
when  unclothed. 

But  why  do  the  leaves  fall  }  The  sum- 
mer foliage  is  fastened  on  tightly  enough, 
so  that  the  July  gales  are  more  likely  to 
break  the  branches  than  to  strip  them, 
and  in  autumn  the  greenery  is  shed  long 
before  the  late  storms  tear  the  last  of  their 
coverings  from  the  "  tufted  trees."     Yet 


November  16 


November  17 


246 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


November  18 


November  19 


in  the  restful  tranquillity  of  Indian  sum- 
mer days  the  woods  are  full  of  the  shim- 
mer of  leaves  fluttering  down  to  lie  crisp 
and  rustling  under  your  tread,  or  to  be 
sent  whirling  by  some  frightened,  whir- 
ring partridge. 

Pick  up  one  of  these  leaves  and  exam- 
ine it.  It  is  so  dry  you  may  perhaps 
pinch  it  to  powder  between  your  thumb 
and  finger.  It  looks,  and  feels,  and  really 
is,  dead,  and  at  first  thought  that  seems 
to  explain  its  fall.  But  wait.  Over  there 
is  a  heap  of  brush  cut  last  summer,  but 
most  of  the  leaves  still  cling  to  the  sev- 
ered branches.  Observe  that  horn-beam 
down  by  the  ridge,  which  was  scorched  by 
the  fire  in  June.  Its  roots  and  trunk 
were  killed,  but  all  its  leaves  remain— no 
longer  green,  but  still  attached.  Plainly, 
then,  the  death  of  a  leaf  is  not  necessarily 
followed  by  its  falling,  until  it  rots  away. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  the  autumn  is 
"  late,"  warm,  and  moist,  a  great  deal  of 
foliage  lets  go  before  it  has  lost  much 
greenness,  and  the  presence  or  absence 
of  frost  seems  really  to  have  little  to  do 
with  it. 

It  appears,  then,  that  this  process  is  one 
of  natural  severance  between  the  leaf, 
stalk,  and  twig.  This  is  the  fact,  and  its 
cause  IS  the  pushing  forward  of  a  new  leaf- 
bud  underneath  the  point  of  attachment. 
Leaves  spring  upon  trees  only  at  definite 
points.  Each  successive  set  is  placed 
precisely  as  was  its  predecessor,  and  for 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  .47 


some   reason    nature    has  arranged    that  November  20 

trees  shall  have  an  annual  new  set  of 
leaves,  just  as  animals  have  an  annual 
(or  semi-annual)  suit  of  new  fur;  she  re- 
places the  old  clothes  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. Old  leaves  fall,  therefore,  because 
their  work  is  done,  and  they  are  pushed 
ofT  by  the  growing  buds  slowly  gettmg 
ready  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  next 
season.  The  process  of  severing  is  differ- 
ent in  different  trees  ;  but  this  the  reader 
may  easily  study  for  himself  by  examining 
the  ends  of  leaf  stalks  and  the  places 
whence  they  drop,  which  are  not,  as  he 
will  notice,  wounds  at  all. 

Thus  the  autumnal  falling  of  a  leaf  is 
not  a  matter  for  tears  and  doleful  poems, 
but  for  hope  and  rejoicing,  since  it  tells  of 
another  birth  and  exhibits  how  alive  and 
energetic  is  the  tree.  Really,  therefore, 
the  beginning  of  the  tree  year  is  now, 
rather  than  in  spring ;  for  when  the 
vernal  warmth  arrives  it  finds  the  trees 
well  started  and  ready  to  take  advantage 
of  the  first  "growing  weather." 

Many  flowers  remain  in  bloom  far  mto 
this  month — mainly  golden-rods,  asters, 
and  other  of  the  coarser  composites,  but 
one  belongs  conspicuously  to  this  month — 
•the  witch-hazel  bloom — and  botanists  are 
not  agreed  whether  to  call  this  the  latest 
flower  of  this  year,  or  the  earliest  of  the 
next.  The  leaves  of  the  bush  fall  early, . 
and  it  is  most  curious  to  see  this  tough, 
angular,  ugly  skeleton  of  a  shrub  studded 


November  21 


24S 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


November  22 


with  vello\v-p;reen  flowers,  with  petals  re- 
sembling ribbons  which  shine  against  the 
sun  like  clusters  of  golden  stars. 

"Am  surprised,"  Thoreau  remarks  on 
October  i6th,  "to  find  an  abundance  of 
witch  -  hazel  now  at  the  height  of  its 
change";  but  in  the  lower  Hudson  valley 
this  appearance  does  not  come  until  No- 
vember. "  The  tallest  bushes,"  he  con- 
tinues, "are  bare,  though  in  bloom;  but 
the  lowest  are  full  of  leaves,  many  of  them 
green,  but  chiefly  clear  and  handsome  yel- 
low of  various  shades,  from  a  pale  lemon 
in  the  shade,  or  within  the  bush,  to  a 
darker  and  warmer  yellow  without.  Some 
have  even  a  hue  of  crimson  ;  some  are 
green  with  bright  yellow  along  the  veins." 

The  moths  and  butterflies  have  largely 
died,  leaving  eggs  or  cocoons  to  produce 
their  kind  in  the  spring,  and  other  insects 
decrease  rapidly  as  frosts  increase,  but 
many  still  live  and  enliven  the  sunny 
places.  One  hears  the  loud  calling  of  the 
mole  crickets,  and  hosts  of  gnats  and  tiny 
flies. dance  in  the  yellow  light.  Every- 
where, too,  we  catch  the  gleam  of  gos- 
samer— mere  streaks  of  glistening  light, 
and  our  clothing  and  faces  get  covered 
with  the  silken  fibres  as  we  push  through 
the  weeds,  that  lend  us  more  beggar's  lice 
than  we  want. 

But  the  most  noticeable  insects  of  this 
month,  probably,  are  the  crickets.  They 
abound  in  open  places  like  pastures,  and 
as  cold  weather  draws  on  all  that  persist 


November  23 


NATURE  S   CALENDAR 


249 


huddle  utider  boards  and  loose  stones, 
where  some  live  on  torpidly  until  spring. 
Earlier  than  this  they  have  been  seen  in 
large  numbers  beside  the  paths,  where 
the  females  thrust  into  the  hard  ground 
their  ovipositors,  which  are  tipped  with  a 
conical  point,  like  an  instrument  used  by 
well-drivers,  and  leave  buried  the  yellow- 
ish oval  eggs  which  will  hatch  next  spring. 
The  shrilling  of  the  crickets  is  one  of 
the  most  characteristic  sounds  of  autumn, 
and  the  Indian  summer  air  often  hums 
with  it.  This  shrilling  is  made  by  the 
males  alone.  The  venation  of  their  wing 
covers  is  very  different  from  that  of  the 
females'  wings  ;  the  veins  are  fewer  and 
the  larger  spaces  between  connected  by 
a  parchment-like  membrane.  "  If,"  says 
Prof.  J.  H.  Comstock,  "we  examine  un- 
der a  magnifier  the  principal  vein,  which 
extends  diagonally  across  the  base  of  the 
wing  cover,  we  shall  see  that  it  is  fur- 
nished with  ridges  like  those  of  a  file." 
'On  the  inner  margin  of  the  wing  cover, 
a  short  distance  towards  the  base  from 
the  end  of  the  principal  vein,  there  is  a 
hardened  portion  which  may  be  called 
the  scraper.  Each  wing  cover  is  there- 
fore provided  with  a  file  and  a  scraper. .  . . 
When  the  cricket  wishes  to  make  his  call, 
he  elevates  his  wing  covers  at  an  angle 
of  about  45°  with  the  body  ;  then  holding 
them  in  such  a  position  that  the  scraper 
of  one  rests  upon  the  file  of  the  other, 
he  moves  the  wing  covers  back  and  forth 


November  24 


November  25 


250 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


November  26 


sidewise,  so  that  the  file  and  scraper  rasp 
upon  each  other.'" 

Substantially  the  same  process  and  ap- 
paratus produce  the  similar  sounds  ot 
the  various  locusts  and  grasshoppers, 
which  are  near  relatives  of  the  crickets 
and  some  of  which  are  still  heard. 

In  respect  to  one  of  them  some  inter- 
esting facts  may  be  learned  at  this  season. 
If  you  will  examine  the  canes  of  the  rasp- 
berries in  your  garden,  you  are  likely  to 
find  one,  here  and  there,  marked  with  a 
long  sinuous  scar.  Split  open  such  a 
cane,  and  you  will  find  beneath  each  of 
the  line  of  punctures  that  forms  the  scar 
a  long,  cucumber-shaped,  yellowish  e^g'g  ; 
and  sometimes  forty  or  fifty  of  these  eggs 
will  fill  the  hollow  of  the  cane  -  pith, 
packed  side  by  side,  like  a  bunch  of  cigars, 
stored  until  spring.  These  are  the  eggs 
of  the  snowy  cricket,  a  near  relative  of 
the  common  crickets,  but  ivory  white, 
with  almost  transparent  wings,  and  in 
habiting  trees  and  shrubs  instead  of  the 
ground.  It  feeds  largely  on  the  plant-lice 
(aphides),  whose  eggs  now  form  patches 
upon  the  roots,  bark,  or  twigs  of  trees  in 
vast  numbers,  prepared  for  hibernation, 
and  forming  a  large  part  of  the  winter 
fare  of  certain  small  birds,  especially  the 
chicadee.  Grape-vines,  plum  twigs,  and 
some  other  garden  shrubs  are  bored  by 
the  snowy  tree  crickets  in  this  way,  and 
now  and  then  considerable  damage  re- 
sults. 


November  27 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


251 
November  28 


CALENDAR  FOR  NOVEMBER 

MAMMALS 

Deer. — Choosing  their  mates  and  lierding  in 
the  forests  where,  northerly,  the  snow  is  l^egin- 
ning  to  limit  their  wanderings. 

Fur-bearers  wearing  new  and  finest  coats. 

Hibernating  mammals  going  into  dormancy. 

Squirrels. — Completing  their  winter  stores. 

BIRDS 

Sea  Ducks. — Pass  South  first  fortnight. 

Woodcock  aid  a  few  Bay  -  birds.  —  Linger 
until  the  end  of  the  month  on  their  way  South. 

Mourning  Dove. — Departs  South  third  week. 

Kingfisher. — Departs  South  second  week. 

Pk(Ebe-bird — Departs  South  first  week. 

A'ed-tuinged  Blackbirds. — Flock  extensively 
in  the  marshes,  and  disappear  third  week. 

Meado7o  Lark. — Departs  South  last  week. 

Purple  Grakle. — Departs  South  first  week. 

Vesper  and  Chipping  Sparroxas.  —  Depart 
first  week  ;  but  many  of  the  former  {Poocetis) 
stay  through  the  winter  south  of  the  Hudson 
Highlands. 

Swamp  Sparrow.  —  Departs  South  second 
week . 

Song  Sparrows. — Some  go  southward  and 
others  come  from  the  North  this  month,  but  the 
species  is  present  in  most  localities  all  winter. 

Fox  Sparroto. — Departs  South  third  week. 

Myrtle-bi7-ds .—T)^^2iX\.  South  second  week. 

Titlark  and  Hermit  Thrush. — Depart  second 
week. 


November  29 


252  NATURE'S  CALENDAR 

November  30  Winter    visitors   begin    to    arrive    from    the 

North  irregularly,  according  to  boreal  weather 

conditions. 

BATRACHIANS   AND    REPTILES 

Retired  for  the  winter. 

FISHES 

Fresh-water  fishes  descending  streams  or  leav- 
ing lake  shores  for  deep  water. 

Sea  fishes  leaving  the  shore  for  deep  water, 
or  departing  southward. 

Trout  and  Sahiwnoids . — Spawning. 

Codfish.  —  Approach  the  shore  and  begin  to 
spawn. 

Various  marine  invertebrates  spawning. 

INSECTS 

See  Calendars  for  October  and  January.) 


DECEMBER 

The  year  is  wearing  to  its  wane, 
An'  the  day  is  fading  west  awa'.' 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


DECEMBER 

December  ushers  in  the  winter  some-  December  i 

times  hurriedly  and  sometimes  tardily, 
but  nature  is  ready  in  time  if  snows 
and  cold  come  early,  or  is  content  to 
wait  when  they  are  late.  She  begins 
early  to  make  her  preparations  for  an 
average  season,  and  an  excessive  winter, 
which  now  and  then  overcomes  her  de- 
fences and  extensively  kills  vegetation 
and  animal  life,  is  one  of  the  ways  by 
which  nature  in  a  larger  sense  lops  off 
a  weak  or  surplus  form  and  trims  down 
the  world  of  life  to  normal  proportions. 
Extra  hard  winters,  summers  of  drouth, 
and  similar  periods  of  stress  are  among 
the  instruments  of  natural  selection  in 
getting  rid  of  the  least  efficient  and  so 
raising  the  general  average.  The  plagues 
and  wars  and  wide-spread  catastrophes 
that  scar  human  history  are,  in  a  large 
way,  beneficent  to  the  human  race,  as  a 
whole,  in  the  same  manner. 

The  special  preparations  made  to  en- 
dure the  cold  are  many  and  ingenious. 
Such,  the  botanists  say,  are  the  thick 
scales  on  the  buds  of  the  early  leafing 
trees  ;  and  there  is  many  another  pro- 
vision  to  protect  the  tender  inner  parts 


256 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


December  2 


from  influences  of  moisture  and  tempera- 
ture until  it  shall  be  safe  to  throw  aside 
their  coverings  (which  then  wither  and 
drop  away)  and  push  out  into  freedom- 
To  ward  off  moisture  more  effectually,  as 
Gray  tells  us,  buds  are  sometimes  coated 
with  a  waxy,  resinous,  or  balsamic  exuda- 
tion, conspicuous  on  the  scales  of  the 
horse-chestnut,  balsamic  poplar  (or  balm 
of  Gilead),  and  balsam  fir.  To  guard 
against  sudden  changes  of  temperature, 
they  are  often  lined  with  a  down  or  wool 
that  is  a  poor  conductor  of  cold  or  heat, 
it  serving  the  same  purpose  as  the  under- 
fur  of  animals. 

How  the  small  invertebrate  creatures 
prepare  for  the  long  period  of  cold  and 
famine  formed,  the  theme  of  the  remarks 
upon  January  ;  but  more  might  then  have 
been  said,  perhaps,  as  to  the  thick,  warm 
coverings  that  certain  insects  throw 
around  themselves,  such  as  the  woolly 
aphides  and  the  many  dense  cocoons  of  all 
sorts  in  which  pupae  pass  the  winter;  and 
were  there  space  to  go  into  details,  one 
might  describe  interestingly,  no  doubt, 
many  curious  ways  in  which  larvse  are 
provided  with,  or  make  for  themselves, 
snug  winter -quarters.  Thus  the  cater- 
pillars of  our  "white  admirals"  (butter- 
flies of  the  commcKi  and  wide-spread  genus 
Basilarchia,  which  are  among  the  earliest 
to  appear  in  the  spring)  are  hatched  from 
eggs  laid  upon  the  tip  of  a  leaf  of  some 
forest    or    orchard    tree.      "  The    infant 


December  3 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR  257 


caterpillar,"  says  Holland,  "  feeding  upon  December  4 

the  leaf  in  immediate  proximity  to  the 
point  where  it  has  been  hatched. attaches 
bits  of  bitten  leaf  to  the  midrib  by 
strands  of  silk,  thus  stiffening  its  perch 
and  preventing  its  curling  as  the  rib 
dries.  Out  of  bits  of  leaves  thus  detached 
it  constructs  a  packet  of  material,  which 
it  moves  forward  along  the  midrib  until 
it  has  completed  its  second  molt.  By 
this  time  winter  begins  to  come  on,  and  it 
cuts  away  for  itself  the  material  of  the 
leaf  on  either  sideof  the  rib,  from  the  tip 
towards  the  base,  glues  the  rib  of  the  leaf 
to  the  stem  by  means  of  silk,  draws  to- 
gether the  edges  of  the  remaining  portion 
of  the  leaf,  and  constructs  a  tube-like  hi- 
bernaculum,  or  winter- quarters,  exactly 
fitting  the  body,  in  which  it  passes  the 
winter." 

*  The  same  entomologist  also  calls  atten- 
tion to  a  matter  which  will  suggest  a  field 
of  experiment  to  students,  in  the  follow- 
ing paragraph  : 

"The  effect  of  cold  suddenly  applied  to 
the  chrysalids  of  butterflies  at  the  moment 
of  pupation  is  often  to  produce  remark- 
able changes  in  the  markings.  The  spots 
upon  the  wings  of  butterflies  emerging 
from  chrysalids  thus  treated  are  frequent- 
ly rendered  more  or  less  indistinct  and 
blurred.  The  dark  markings  are  intensi- 
fied in  color  and  enlarged  ;  the  pale  mark- 
ings are  also  in  some  cases  ascertained  to 
experience   enlargement.      Many   of  the 

December  5 


>58 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  6 


strange  and  beautiful  aberrations  known 
to  collectors  have  no  doubt  been  produced 
by  the  action  of  frost  which  has  occurred 
at  the  season  when  the  larv^a  was  pupating. 
The  species  believed  by  the  writer  to  be 
most  prolific  in  aberrations  are  species 
which  pupate  early  in  the  spring  from 
caterpillars  which  have  hibernated  or 
which  pupate  late  in  the  autumn.  Some 
are  species  found  at  considerable  altitudes 
above  sea-level,  where  late  frosts  and  early 
frosts  are  apt  to  occur." 

The  semi-annual  change  of  plumage  in 
birds,  and  of  pelage  in  mammals,  is  an 
adaptation  to  the  alternating  periods  of 
heat  and  cold  that  make  up  the  year. 
The  winter  plumage  of  our  northern  birds, 
such  as  may  be  seen  in  a  mid-December 
ramble,  is  denser  and  more  closely  inter- 
locked than  that  which  follows  the  spring 
molt,  and  it  is  almost  always  duller  in  hue, 
too,  and  hence  lessconspicuous.  The  ducks 
and  related  birds  have  a  downy  under- 
growth, which  not  only  serves  the  main 
purpose  of  preventing  water  reaching  the 
breast,  but  also  serves  to  resist  cold.  It 
is  this  underwear  of  down,  which  loosens 
in  the  spring  and  is  gradually  dispensed 
with,  that  is  plucked  out  and  utilized  by 
the  female  ducks  as  bedding  for  their 
eggs.  The  down  obtained  from  the  nests 
of  the  eider-duck,  and  justly  regarded  as 
a  luxury  by  us  for  its  lightness  and 
warmth,  is  the  special  undercoat  assumed 
by   that   arctic  fowl   for   winter,  which, 


December  7 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


when  it  is  naturally  discarded  in  the 
spring,  is  applied  to  a  secondary  utility, 
and  forms  a  blanket  for  the  duck's  eggs 
and  young.  We  are  really  using  third- 
hand  material. 

Birds  sometimes  acquire  at  this  time 
of  the  year  special  parts  of  aid  to  them 
during  the  impending  bad  season.  Thus 
there  grows  on  the  toes  of  the  ruffed 
grouse,  in  the  late  fall,  fringes  of  sharp 
points  which  act  as  snowshoes,  enabling 
it  to  run  over  the  snowdrifts  and  hunt  for 
buds,  cones,  berries,  and  catkins,  and  at 
night  to  paw  its  way  into  a  drift  and  lie 
there,  well  sheltered,  as  are  the  habits  of 
the  bird  in  northerly  regions.  The  feath- 
ers which  clothe  the  feet  of  the  ptarmigan, 
whose  home  is  on  lofty  mountain-tops, 
or  in  the  snowy  North,  are  much  broader 
and  stiffer  in  winter  than  in  summer,  thus 
forming  real  snowshoes.  Both  of  these 
birds  scratch  deeply  in  the  snow  for  ever- 
green leaves  and  clinging  berries  lying 
close  to  the  warm  ground  underneath, 
such  as  the  wintergreen,  partridge  berry, 
creeping  snowberry,  and,  in  the  far  North, 
the  numerous  and  abundant  sorts  of  cran- 
berries. All  these  fruits  mature  late  in 
the  fall  and  hang  on  until  spring — a  store- 
house of  food  for  birds  and  deer. 

Apropos  of  this,  it  will  be  pertinent  to 
quote  a  paragraph  from  Signs  and  Sea- 
sons, in  which  Mr.  John  Burroughs  dis- 
courses as  follows : 

"  It   is  plain   why  the   sugar-berry,  or 


J59 
December  8 


December  9 


26o 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  lo 


lotus,  holds  its  drupes  all  winter:  it  is  in 
order  that  the  birds  may  come  and  sow 
the  seed.  The  berries  are  like  small 
gravel  stones  with  a  sugar  coating,  and  a 
bird  will  not  eat  them  till  he  is  pretty 
hard  pressed,  but  in  late  fall  and  winter 
the  robins,  cedar-birds,  and  bluebirds  de- 
vour them  readily,  and,  of  course,  lend 
their  wMngs  to  scatter  the  seed  far  and 
wide.  The  same  is  true  of  the  juniper 
berries  and  the  fruit  of  the  bitter-sweet. 
In  certain  other  cases,  where  the  fruit 
tends  to  hang  on  during  the  winter,  as 
with  the  bladder  nut  and  the  honey  lo- 
cust [eaten  by  squirrels  occasionally],  it  is 
probably  because  the  frost  and  the  per- 
petual moisture  of  the  ground  would  rot 
or  kill  the  germ.  To  beech  -  nuts,  chest- 
nuts, and  acorns  the  moisture  of  the 
ground  and  the  covering  seems  congenial, 
though  too  much  warmth  or  moisture  of- 
ten causes  the  acorns  to  germinate  prem- 
aturely. I  have  found  the  ground  under 
the  oaks  in  December  covered  with  nuts, 
all  anchored  by  purple  sprouts.  But 
the  winter  which  follows  such  untimely 
growths  generally  proves  fatal  to  them." 

A  provision  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
grouse  is  made  for  the  feet  of  some  small 
mammals  that  stay  abroad,  such  as  our 
northern  rabbit,  along  the  margins  of 
whose  feet  the  hairs  grow  so  long  and 
stilT  that  a  Western  relative  is  called  the 
snowslioe  rabbit. 

It  is  a  variety  of  the  American  northern 


December  ii 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


or  "varying"  hare  which  is  so  called  be- 
cause it  turns  white  in  winter.  This  is 
the  case  with  many  creatures  of  the  re- 
gions where  the  snowfall  is  deep  and  last- 
ing. The  ptarmigans  are  plentifully  brown 
in  summer,  but  in  winter  altogether  wiiite 
in  plumage,  except  certain  tail  feathers. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  snow  bunting  and 
of  the  great  snowy  owl,  one  of  the  fiercest 
predatory  birds  of  the  Canadian  zone. 

Certain  mammals  have  the  same  ex- 
perience. The  arctic  bear  and  arctic  fox 
are  always  white,  for  they  inhabit  the 
regions  of  endless  snow;  but  the  big 
Northern  hare  dwells  in  summer  as  far 
south  as  our  northern  boundary,  and  in 
summer  is  reddish-brown.  Weasels  are 
familiar  to  us  in  their  red-brown  summer 
coats,  with  white  only  inside  the  legs  and 
on  the  belly;  but  in  winter  this  brown  is 
replaced  by  white,  and  the  weasel,  or  stoat, 
becomes  the  "  ermine,"  so  valuable  as  a 
fur. 

Now  this  change  is  a  preparation  for 
winter  life  in  two  ways,  and  it  is  accom- 
plished, in  the  case  of  the  weasel  at  least, 
by  a  quick  whitehing  of  the  hair  itself, 
immediately  following  the  first  fall  of 
snow  ;  the  same  kind  of  weasels  that  live 
south  of  snowy  regions  do  not  change  at 
all,  and  those  which  live,  say  about  New 
York,  where  in  some  winters  no  snow  of 
any  account  falls  until  late  in  the  season, 
delay  their  change  until  it  comes  and 
then  become  white  in  a  few  hours. 


December  12 


December  13 


202 


NATURE'S    CALENDAR 


December  14 


Such  a  change  of  feathers  or  fur  to 
white  may  be  helpful  in  two  ways.  First, 
it  no  doubt  tends  to  an  increase  of 
warmth,  the  white  hair  preventing  loss  of 
heat  better  than  the  more  absorbent  black 
hair.  A  more  important  service,  however, 
is  the  concealment  the  colorlessness  of 
the  animal  affords  it  in  a  world  of  white, 
where  any  creature  of  a  dark  color  would 
be  conspicuous  to  its  enemies  a  long  dis- 
tance oflf. 

A  suggestive  note  on  this  point  occurs 
in  Little  Beasts  of  Field  and  Wood,  by 
William  E.  Cram,  who  says  : 

"  Late  in  the  autumn,  or  earl)'  in  the 
winter,  the  ermine  changes  from  reddish 
brown  to  white,  sometimes  slightly  washed 
with  greenish  yellow  or  cream  color,  and 
again  as  brilliantly  white  as  anything  in 
nature  or  art;  the  end  of  the  tail,  how- 
ever, remains  intensely  black,  and  at  first 
thought  might  be  supposed  to  make  the 
animal  conspicuous  on  the  white  back- 
ground of  snow,  but  in  reality  has  just  the 
opposite  efTect.  Place  an  ermine  on  new- 
fallen  snow  in  such  a  way  that  it  casts  no 
shadow,  and  you  will  find  that  the  black 
point  holds  your  ejG  in  spite  of  yourself, 
and  that  at  a  little  distance  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  follow  the  outline  of  the 
weasel  itself.  Cover  the  tail  with  snow 
and  you  can  begin  to  make  out  the 
position  of  the  rest  of  the  animal ;  but  as 
long  as  the  tip  of  the  tail  is  in  sight  you 
see  that  and  that  only." 


December  15 


NATURE'S  CALENDAR 


Such  boreal  weaklings  as  the  ptarmi<;an  December  i6 

and  the  snow  buntings,  which  must  seek 
their  food  on  the  surface  by  daylight, 
would  be  pounced  upon  by  hawks,  owls, 
weasels,  foxes,  etc.,  were  they  not  rendered 
almost  invisible  by  their  colorless  attire; 
but  It  is  to  be  noted  that  they,  too,  keep 
some  points  of  dark  color,  as  do  the 
weasels.  One  may  read  a  learned  discus- 
sion of  this  matter  in  the  "  Bulletin  of  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History," 
volume  vi.,  page  107. 

The  fur  and  pelts  of  all  the  mammals 
are  now  in  their  best  condition,  and  this 
is  the  most  profitable  month  to  the  trap- 
per, who  must  brave  its  rigors  by  con- 
stantly visiting  his  traps  if  he  would 
thrive  in  business.  The  deer  are  wearing 
their  longest  and  densest  coats,  and  the 
fur  of  fur- bearing  animals  is  long  and 
close,  and  most  richly  colored.  This  is 
partly  due  to  the  special  provision  given 
them  against  winter's  cold  by  an  under- 
suit  of  very  dense  short  hairs  sprouting 
among  the  roots  of  the  longer  and  true 
fur,  especially  noticeable  in  such  animals 
as  the  mountain  goats,  where  it  forms  a 
fleecy  mass  called  pashm— 2^  Himalayan 
word.  It  is  from  this  substance  that  the 
warm  and  beautiful  fabrics  of  Kashmir 
and  neighboring  countries  are  made,  and 
there  it  is  known  as  shawl  wool. 

The  hibernating  mammals  have  long 
since  gone  to  sleep,  and  those  which  are 

half   awake   in  their  well-stored    homes, 

December  17 


264 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  18 


like  the  chipmunk,  no  longer  find  any 
warm  days  in  which  to  walk  abroad.  The 
latest  to  retire,  probably,  is  the  black  bear. 
"  The  time  of  his  hibernation,"  to  quote 
Mathews,  "  is  almost  entirely  dependent 
upon  the  condition  of  the  food-supply. 
If  food  is  scarce  and  the  cold  is  severe,  he 
retires  about  the  first  of  December ;  but  if 
beech-nuts  are  plenty  and  the  weather  is 
mild,  he  will  prowl  about  all  winter,  and 
the  female  will  den  only  before  the  period 
of  bringing  forth  the  young." 

Dr.  Merriam,  who  has  had  much  ex- 
perience with  bears  in  northern  New 
York,  makes  the  same  statement,  and 
asserts  that  the  cause  of  retirement  is 
not  "  to  escape  either  the  low  tempera- 
ture or  the  deep  snows,  but  to  thus  bridge 
over  a  period  when,  if  active,  he  would 
be  unable  to  procure  sufficient  food." 

The  den  Dr.  Merriam  describes  as  usu- 
ally a  partial  excavation  under  the  up- 
turned roots  of  a  fallen  tree,  or  under  a 
pile  of  logs,  with  perhaps  a  few  bushes 
and  leaves  scraped  together  by  way  of  a 
bed,  while  to  the  first  snow-storm  is  left 
the  task  of  completing  the  roof  and  fill- 
ing the  remaining  chinks.  Not  infre- 
quently the  den  is  a  great  hole  or  cave 
dug  into  the  side  of  a  knoll,  and  gener- 
ally under  some  standing  tree,  whose 
roots  serve  as  side-posts  to  the  entrance. 
The  amount  of  labor  bestowed  upon  it 
depends  upon  the  length  of  time  the  bear 
expects  to  hibernate.      If  the  prospects 


December  19 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


point  towards  a  severe  winter  and  there 
is  a  scarcity  of  food,  they  den  early  and 
take  pains  to  make  a  comfortable  nest ; 
but  when  they  stay  out  late,  and  then  den 
in  a  hurry,  they  do  not  take  the  trouble 
to  fix  up  their  nests  at  all.  At  such  times 
they  simply  crawl  into  any  convenient 
shelter,  without  gathering  so  much  as  a 
bunch  of  moss  to  soften  their  bed.  Snow 
completes  the  covering,  and  as  their 
breath  condenses  and  freezes  into  it,  an 
icy  wall  begins  to  form,  and  increases  in 
thickness  and  extent  day  by  day  till  they 
are  soon  unable  to  escape,  even  if  they 
would,  and  are  obliged  to  wait  in  this  icy 
chill  till  liberated  by  the  sun  in  April  or 
May. 

The  case  is  much  the  same  with  the 
deer.  When  the  winter  is  open,  and  the 
snow  not  very  deep,  they  wander  about 
incessantly,  and  often,  in  frontier  regions, 
come  among  the  cattle  and  even  approach 
the  haystack  or  barn,  driven  by  hunger; 
but  in  seasons  or  places  of  heavy  snowfall 
their  wanderings  are  restricted  to  the 
limited  locality,  or  paths,  they  are  able  to 
keep  trampled  down,  and  for  food  they 
must  rely  upon  the  leaves  of  the  trees 
(mainly  spruce)  and  bushes  which  they 
browse  clean.  Such  trampled  places  of 
confinement  are  called  "yards,"  and  are 
formed  by  the  Eastern  deer  and  the  moose ; 
but  the  caribou,  by  reason  of  their  broad 
hoofs,  can  move  about  upon  the  snow, 
and  are  able  to  paw  down  through  it,  no 


December  2C 


December  21 


266 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  22 


matter  how  deep/as  do  the  Lapland  rein- 
deer) to  get  at  the  moss  and  "berries  be- 
neath it. 

"  Now  for  short  days  and  early  twilight," 
exclaims  Thoreau,  "in  which  I  hear  the 
sound  of  wood-chopping.  The  sun  goes 
down  behind  a  low  cloud  and  the  world 
is  darkened.  The  partridge  is  budding 
on  the  apple-tree  and  bursts  away  from 
the  path-side.  ...  As  I  walk  along  the 
side  of  the  hill  a  pair  of  nuthatches  flit 
by  towards  a  walnut-tree,  flying  low  in 
mid -course,  and  then  ascending  to  the 
tree.  I  hear  one's  faint  tut-iiit  or  qiiah- 
quah  (no  doubt  heard  a  good  way  oflf  by 
its  mate,  now  flown  to  the  next  tree)  as  it 
is  ascending  the  trunk  or  branch  of  a  wal- 
nut in  a  zigzag  manner,  wriggling  along, 
prying  into  the  crevices  of  the  bark  ;  and 
now  it  has  found  a  savory  morsel  which 
it  pauses  to  devour;  then  flits  to  a  new 
bough." 

Bv  the  time  the  cold  weather  of  the 
month  has  really  set  in,  an  ornithologist 
who  lives  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
United  States  finds  many  new  birds  await- 
ing his  walks,  and  usually  inclined  to  be 
friendly  to  his  advances.  Sometimes 
these  appear  very  early,  which  is  an  indi- 
cation that  extra  severe  weather  is  pre- 
vailing in  boreal  regions,  and  then  it  is 
safe  to  guess  that  our  own  winter  will  be 
colder  than  usual. 

Among  the  greater  rarities  occasionally 
seen  from  December  to  March  is  the  Bo- 


December  23 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


hemian  waxwing,  a  bird  of  the  same  genus 
as  our  cedar-bird,  but  larger  and  almost 
restricted  to  the  arctic  coasts,  where  it 
makes  its  nest  long  before  the  snow  has 
left  the  forests;  few  birds,  even  here, 
breed  so  early  as  does  this  handsome 
waxwing  in  the  forests  about  Hudson  Bay, 
in  Alaska,  Siberia,  or  Lapland.  Cross- 
bills now  and  then  visit  us  in  winter  in 
the  course  of  their  irregular  wander- 
ings, and  please  us  with  their  parrot-like 
antics  among  the  evergreen  woods.  This, 
however,  is  only  one  of  several  North- 
ern cone -billed  winter  visitors.  Along 
the  sea-coast  and  on  open  areas,  from 
New  England  westward  to  Iowa,  the  snow 
bunting,  or  snowflake,  comes  riding  upon 
the  first  severe  gale  from  the  North,  and 
usually  brings  with  it  the  richly  colored 
Lapland  longspur  and  the  horned  lark. 
At  this  season,  too,  may  frequently  be 
seen  the  great  Northern  shrike,  more 
dreaded  than  a  hawk  or  an  owl  by  the 
little  tree  sparrows  (Northern  cousins  of 
the  chippy),  the  sprightly  golden-crowned 
kinglets  (hardly  bigger  than  a  humming- 
bird, yet  of  arctic  habitat),  the  redpoll, 
whose  rosy  breast  looks  like  a  flower  amid 
the  dark  foliage  of  the  spruces  he  fre- 
quents, and  the  winter  wren,  whose  song, 
briefly  heard  in  early  spring,  is  one  of  the 
surprises  of  the  season. 

All  these  and  some  others,  especially 
among  the  sea-fowl,  are  rarities  from  the 
far  North,  which  will  be  seen  only  by  dili- 


December  24 


December  25 


26S 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  26 


gent  and  keen-eyed  observers  at  irregular 
intervals;  but  there  is  a  long  list,  as  has 
been  mentioned  elsewhere,  of  resident 
birds  that  stay  through  the  cold  weather 
or  come  to  us  in  great  numbers  from 
Canada. 

But  one  need  not  seek  for  these  rarities, 
thinking  that  otherwise  there  is  nothing 
to  study.  There  are  lots  of  things  to  be 
learned  about  our  common  winter  birds, 
such  as  the  woodpeckers.  John  Bur- 
roughs was  quite  right  in  his  assertion 
that  "  it  seems  not  to  be  generally  known  " 
that  certain  of  our  woodpeckers — probably 
all  the  winter  residents — each  fall  exca- 
vate a  limb  or  the  trunk  of  a  tree  in  which 
to  pass  the  winter,  and  that  the  cavity  is 
abandoned  in  the  spring,  probably  for  a 
new  one  in  which  nidification  takes  place. 
"So  far  as  I  have  observed,"  he  remarks, 
"these  cavities  are  drilled  out  only  by  the 
males.  Where  the  females  take  up  their 
quarters  I  am  not  so  well  informed, 
though  I  expect  that  they  use  the  aban- 
doned holes  of  the  males  of  the  previous 
year."  .  .  .  Such  a  cavity  makes  a  snug, 
warm  home,  and  when  the  entrance  is  on 
the  underside  of  the  limb,  as  is  usual,  the 
wind  and  snow  cannot  reach  the  occu- 
pant." 

It  remained  for  a  still  more  recent 
time,  and  for  another  unprofessional  bird- 
observer  to  teach  us  the  food  of  the 
chickadee,  whose  winter  hardihood  has 
been  so  much  admired.     It  finds  an  abun- 


December  27 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


dance  of  dormant  insect  life  and  insect 
eggs,  but  the  main  part  of  its  fare  con- 
sists of  aphides.  So  says  Professor  Weed  : 
"Forty- one  specimens  [of  chickadees] 
were  studied  from  November,  1897,  to 
March,  1898.  Results  show  that  this  bird 
feeds  on  a  great  variety  of  insects.  The 
•most  striking  kind  of  food  was  eggs  of 
aphides  —  twenty -one  per  cent,  of  the 
whole.  Insects,  as  a  class,  constituted 
fifty-one  percent.;  spiders  and  their  eggs, 
five  per  cent.;  vegetable  matter,  twenty- 
eight  per  cent,;  of  this  twenty  per  cent, 
consisted  of  buds  and  bud-scales,  intro- 
duced accidentally  with  aphid  eggs." 

These  two  are  excellent  examples  of 
winter  bird-studies  that  maybe  made  by 
any  one. 

We  have  now  followed  the  circle  of  the 
year  round  to  its  calendar,  beginning  in 
January,  and  have  found  that  it  all  moves 
together,  the  revival  of  vegetation  under 
the  spring  sun  being  the  signal  for  the 
awakening  of  animal  life  and  the  renewal 
of  its  energies,  and  its  progress  from  leaf 
to  flower,  and  then  to  fruit,  being  accom- 
panied by  the  development  of  the  various 
creatures  that  depend  upon  it  for  food. 
Each  year  is  a  grand  illustration  of  the 
interdependence  of  all  nature  ;  of  the  ex- 
act adjustment  of  each  creature  to  the 
other  creatures  of  its  locality  and  to  their 
surroundings,  and  of  the  uniformity  of 
law. 


December  28 


'December  29 


270 


NATURE'S   CALENDAR 


December  30 


CALENDAR  FOR  DECEMBER 

MAMMALS 

Hibernating  animals  sound  asleep. 

Mice  and  small  Rodents. — In  snug  retreats. 

N 07- them  Hare. — Turns  white. 

Bears. — Retiring  to  their  dens,  early  or  late, 
according  to  the  weather. 

Small  fur -bearing  carnivores,  bold,  active, 
and  far-wandering  in  search  of  prey  ;  coats  in 
the  best  of  condition. 

Ermine  Weasels. — Turn  white  at  the  coming 
of  the  first  snow-storm. 

Deer. — "  Yardiug  "  in  forests. 

BIRDS 
Arctic  visitors  arrive  irregularly,  and  in  more 
or   less    abundance    according    to   severity   of 
weather.     See  January  Calendar. 

BATRACHIANS   AND    REPTILES 
A  few  frogs  and  salamanders   half  alive  in 
warm  spring-holes. 

FISHES 

See  November  and  February  Calendars. 

INSECTS 

See  January  Calendar. 


December  31 


